Ji's Quest
by Darien Fawkes
Summary: Ji has a long, dangerous quest before him, and the Rangers must cope in his absence.  Is everyone up to the challenge?
1. Chapter 1

**Legal:** I do not own Power Rangers or the associated names, characters etc. Anything not covered by these rights should be considered purely the creation of the author.

**Rating:** T – May be some adult themes.

Jayden was sitting in the yard, gently rocking Alexandra. It had been three days now since she had been quite literally dropped on their doorstep, and while he couldn't deny it was trying, he found that having her around was strangely rewarding despite the effort.

Whenever she wasn't around, he could find himself imagining her little smile, and the way her little hands flailed excitedly when she saw him. It had cost him more than a few bruises in training when he found himself unable to concentrate completely on the task at hand. Most embarrassingly, Mike had only that morning bested him at least three times in a row. Although the Green Ranger had improved greatly in his technique, everyone still knew that should never happen.

He adjusted his position to get his arm into a better position so he could keep rocking her. He was right-handed, and his right arm and shoulder were still injured after his duel with Dekker. However, he was becoming more than a little surprised just how adept he was becoming at using his left arm when he took care of her. He wondered briefly how many of the ancient Samurai were ambidextrous as a result of caring for children, but then he did have to remind himself that being of a noble family, most of his ancestors probably did not care for their own children. They probably had servants to do that for them.

He dialled his phone again, and sighed as he once again got the message indicating that a connection could not be made. Since he had left, he had never managed to contact Ji. He wanted to tell him what had happened, to explain things, and most importantly to ask for advice. While he was not in any measure a baby when Ji took over his care, Ji was pretty much the main father figure in his life. His own father...sadly, he was gone, and all that remained of him were a few patchy memories, and the awesome responsibility of maintaining the Shiba Clan's place in keeping the Nighlock from over-running the earth.

He put down his phone as Antonio arrived, sitting down next to him.

"I take it you're still not getting through?" Antonio asked him. Jayden just shook his head gently. He was grateful for all his friends, Antonio especially. They had all been so great about helping him prepare the house and buying in supplies for Alex, but most of all, Antonio had adjusted to suit the new circumstances. Antonio had been gay a lot longer than Jayden, and without any programme like the one that created Alex, Antonio had come to the conclusion long ago that children simply were not in his future. He had been somewhat reluctant at first, but he had agreed that he would help Jayden to take care of her. It made it all seem more likely that the Red Ranger would be able to cope with a responsibility that he had never prepared for.

"Still no signal." Jayden sighed. Antonio just smiled a little.

"Well, I think I know something that could cheer you up." He told him. "Karaoke at the..."

"Antonio, I just fed her." Jayden groaned. "Besides, I doubt it's the kind of thing I can take her to."

"I wasn't thinking of that." Antonio told him. "Peter comes home tomorrow, and Mike and Emily are at a loose end as well tonight. They said they'd take her if you wanted a little rest."

Jayden just looked to him, a weary look in his eyes. In the short time he had been a father, he had already learned just how little rest one normally got with a baby in the picture.

"I don't know, she felt a little hot earlier." Jayden told him.

"Jay, she always feels hot. She's wrapped in thick wool 24/7." Antonio reminded him. "Even my dad told me he got a break once in a while."

"Antonio, I'm really not in the mood." Jayden told him. "I'm kind of tired."

"And I'm not?" Antonio chuckled. "In case you had forgotten, I'm in the same room as little miss alarm clock too."

"Thanks, but I think I should probably just keep trying for Ji." Jayden told him. "You go though. Have a good time, just..."

"Try not to wake Alex when I come home." He breathed as he got up. "No problem, I think I'll just stay in."

Jayden saw how disappointed Antonio looked as he left. He was sympathetic in some ways; he had never asked for this when he got together with him. They had only just become open with their relationship to the others a short time before Jayden knew anything about Alexandra. They didn't really have the time to enjoy a lot of the aspects of a relationship that Emily and Mike or Mia and Kevin had. They didn't really get to do the whole dating thing, Alexandra had been sprung on them as such a surprise, that they really didn't have much of a relationship before she showed up. He felt badly about that, but the one thing he knew about kids from all Ji had taught him was that once a child was in the picture, they were always the priority.

He tried the number again, but found that it just gave him the same recorded message. He just switched it off and placed it down on the bench as he looked down to Alexandra.

"Sorry, but I guess it'll be a while before you meet Grandpa." He whispered to her softly. He saw that she was just sleeping quietly, somewhat of a mixed blessing as it meant that in a couple of hours, she'd likely be screaming the place down for something or other, but he couldn't help being enthralled by her as he looked at her. "I'm sure he'll love you though."

Meanwhile, Ji was having a decidedly different experience. He was lying in a hammock on board the ship. He checked his phone, finding yet again that he wasn't getting a signal, something which grated on him terribly. Not only did it mean he couldn't call home to the Shiba House to check on his Rangers, it also meant he couldn't call Ocean Bluff to check on RJ and the others. He had felt terrible about running out on the battle and leaving them to face Dayu without him, but the necessity of the mission meant that he had to. He could only hope that no one had suffered too much as a result of his flight. He would never have put another in danger for him if he could help it.

He lay awake, unable to sleep as he pulled out the amulet RJ had given him. It was an artefact the Ancient Masters of Pai Zhua had created centuries ago, that allowed messengers to obfuscate their movements to supernatural surveillance. It worked based on the wearer's animal spirit, and took some power to maintain. While Symbol Power was similar to the animal spirit, it was not exactly the same, so no one was sure how effectively it would work. Ji could feel it drawing off his Symbol Power. Between that and the fact that Dayu hadn't appeared from one of the gaps in his rickety old ship by now, he could only presume that it was working to some extent.

He wished he could contact the Rangers. He had been around since their parents had been active, and so more than them, he appreciated the reasoning behind the rules against contacting friends and family. The thing was though that it had meant a whole different thing to him. Even before his father had passed many years earlier, his only real family were the contacts he had made, the Rangers and his father. All of his family were in the Shiba House. It wasn't as if he was missing out on anything. Now though, he appreciated what the Rangers' parents felt when they were active. Jayden, Kevin, Mia and Serena were all toddlers when they came to the Shiba House at first. Mike was born while his father was away. He saw how terribly they all missed their kids. Now, even though he was an adult, he could feel the absence of Jayden and the others from his life.

He took a deep breath, before the ship suddenly rocked, and he heard some loud noises. He sat up, becoming alert as he tried to figure out what was happening. As he heard more sounds, he quickly realised that it was gunfire.

He grabbed a handle, swinging himself out of his hammock, before pulling on his jacket and his bag. He didn't know what had happened, but if gunfire was involved, he doubted it was good.

He got up onto the deck, and found the rest of the crew running around frantically as ships surrounded them. A few rounds were fired, more as a warning than anything else, but a couple still rebounded off the hull, sending up sparks. He took cover, waiting to see what this was about.

"_This is the coast guard. We have reason to believe that you are carrying contraband._" The loud-hailer announced from one of the ships. "_I repeat, _this_ is the coast guard, cut off your engines and prepare to be boarded!_"

Ji had always guessed that the crossing had to be dodgy on some level. He was allowed on board without any questions or credentials in exchange for a cash payment. He figured that it was likely that the crew were smugglers of some description. Had it not been for his desperation to escape the country and make this crossing without going through customs, he would never have agreed to it. He didn't know what the cargo was, he never checked it out. All he knew was that the last thing he needed was to be arrested by the Japanese Navy, never mind the odds that they would simply sink the ship with everyone on board.

He watched in horror as some of the crew started to produce guns. One opened up a crate, pulling out an M60 chain gun. Whatever the crew were carrying, it appeared that they were more willing to fight and go down with the ship than to risk being caught with it. He could afford neither.

He knew that he had a long way to go still, but he figured that he had a much better chance on his own than he did on the rusty old bucket they called a ship. Breaking into a sprint, he ran as fast as he could, body-checking the man carrying the heavy machine gun over the side of the ship. He could hear a number of screams as he did so, likely taking out their best defence against the Navy.

As he tumbled towards the water, he used the man's body to take the worst of the impact from the long fall, disabling him in the process. They sank into the cold water, at which he saw the gun starting to drift down to the ocean floor, meaning it was no longer a danger. Seeing no need to risk the man's life any further, he pulled the cord on his life-jacket, inflating it and causing him to drift to the surface, before beginning to swim away.

He re-surfaced a little way off, just in time to see the ships closing in closely enough to board the smugglers' ship. Satisfying himself that they had enough to cope with dealing with the boarding action, and they didn't realise he had left; he checked his position with the stars, before swimming away. It was a long way to the coast, and once he was there, he still had a long way to go.

Meanwhile, in the Netherworld, Dayu had found somewhere to take refuge. After she had gate crashed the Feast of the Fallen in The Dark Zone, there was now pretty much nowhere there wasn't someone looking for her. Xandred would at best just destroy her if he got his hands on her, but she suspected given his cruelty that her fate would not be so swift. The fallen Nighlocks now knew that she had dared to intrude on their celebration, meaning that the relative peace of The Dark Zone was no longer an option. She had no idea what they planned for her, but again, she doubted it was good.

In the land of the living meanwhile, she still had the Rangers, and apparently they had several allies she was ignorant of. The battle in Ocean Bluff had shown her that there were more Rangers than she was truly aware of. The fact was that she had no allies, no friends she could rely on.

None of that mattered to her though. As she sat, cradling her harmonium, which housed the hilt of the broken Urumasa, she felt comfort in its energy. It still yearned for its master as she did. She was no closer to finding him now than she was before the battle in Ocean Bluff, but again that didn't matter. While she did harbour some feelings of vengeance towards the Yellow Jungle Fury Ranger for preventing her following the fragment of Urumasa, she was willing to give them no further mind. It was only a distraction from her true quest. Once she had the other fragment, and had re-forged Urumasa, it would lead her to the man she loved enough to damn herself for all eternity.

Unfortunately, following that battle, the trail had grown cold. She doubted the other Rangers would be especially co-operative if she asked them where Ji had gone, and she was even more doubtful that she could get that information without a costly conflict. She didn't know what kind of tricks the Rangers' mentor had access to, but so far she had been unable to trace him through the Gaps. She knew that he had to have some kind of sorcery blinding her to his movements, and she had barely any feelings regarding his location. It was like a thick, unyielding fog had descended into the part of her mind that concerned Ji, and blocked any attempt to find him using the conventional methods.

She piled up some branches on the floor, and drew the short-sword from her shamisen, striking a piece of flint to it, creating the spark to light it. It took a while for the flame to reach a respectable level, while she started to chant, preparing herself for the ritual to come.

She placed a dish over the fire, and tossed some herbs into it, allowing them to begin heating as she started to sway in her seated position and chant, concentrating as much on what she knew of Ji as possible. She didn't know much, which only made the ritual harder, but she had no other choice. She needed to know where he had taken the other half of Urumasa if she was going to use it to find her beloved.

Pulling up her left sleeve to the elbow, the fire started to glow more brightly. Taking up the short-sword in her right hand, she drew it across her forearm, from the wrist to the elbow, drawing the dark fluid that passed for blood within her Nighlock form. It started to leak down her arm, across her flesh as she felt the blade bite in. She placed her wrist over the dish, offering her sacrifice to the ritual. Her blood dripped from her wrist, pooling in the dish as the flames flared up, and turned a bright, blazing red.

She continued to chant her incantation as she then took the point of the short-sword, and started to trace symbols on the bowl. Images rushed through her mind. The shadows flickered on the wall, and started to form into murals of varying quality and form, showing images from Ji's mind. The more she knew of him, the more exact the images would have been. Unfortunately, she knew very little of the man. Indeed, very few knew anything of him really, if they did, she could encourage one of them to speak to her and open up these images to more exact readings.

Finally, she saw one that made sense. The detail was not great, but it was so distinctive, that she couldn't help recognise it.

"That's it!" She gasped. She got up, at which the flames started to die down, and she pulled her sleeve back to her wrist, before turning and leaving the cave. It wasn't much, but at least now she had a place to start.

Meanwhile, on the coast of Japan, a border control agent was busy doing his rounds, before taking a quick look around to make sure no one was looking his way. His job was undeniably boring. Indeed, he did the same patrol dozens of times every day, and never once saw a thing. He satisfied himself that his supervisor was busy with some bureaucratic nonsense or other, before ducking behind a crate.

He waited a few seconds, before pulling a Marlboro out of his pocket, and lighting it up for a quick, unsanctioned smoke break to break the tedium. He hated the job, nothing ever happened here. He just needed the money.

He heard a disturbance in the water, and furrowed his brow. Figuring it might just be fish or something, he was about to continue with his smoke break when he heard more of a disturbance. He held the cigarette in his lips as he came across to the edge and looked over.

"_Come out where I can see you!_" He barked as he reached to his holster, looking over the edge. "_I'm armed!_"

"_That's hardly much of an incentive now is it?_" He asked someone ask from behind him. Before he could react, he felt a hard punch in the kidneys, at the same time a hand struck him in the throat, preventing him calling out. Quickly afterwards, he was snatched into a sleeper hold, and dragged backwards behind the crates.

Ji held the man until he was unconscious, before letting him gently to the ground. He checked on him to ensure he was breathing, and laid him in a recovery position just to be sure.

"_I am sorry._" He commented, before looking to the fence. He could see other patrols, but he waited a few moments for an opportunity, before running for the fence. With a quick motion, he was up the full height, and flicked himself over nimbly in a display that would put men half his age to shame, landing on the other side. He looked around to make sure he was not seen, before starting to walk away, disappearing into the streets.


	2. Relationships

A maze, the whole god damned building was a maze. He had no idea why he had to make things so hard. All he knew was that right now, they were after him, and that he had no option but to run.

He felt his heart pounding as he stopped around a corner, and he cast a quick, cautious glance around. Whoever was attacking knew what they were there for, and had targeted that specific lab. He hated to fail so horribly in the task he had assigned, but there was nothing he could do. At least...nothing he would want to.

He felt his rage rising, burning in his chest, and his hands curling up into claws. He lifted up his right hand, seeing it flashing between his own and a talon.

"No, God, please not now!" He began his mantra. He hadn't been a particularly religious man before, but since his last encounter with the forces of evil, he had become quite devout in his faith. He wore his crucifix everywhere he went, and made a habit of praying at least once a day. He hated the fact that he had called upon him again, but when they came to his lab, he knew there was only one that could offer him the strength to escape with his life. Were it not for the importance of the news he had to carry, he would have gladly welcomed death as an alternative, but he knew that they needed to know this.

It was then he saw an ominous red glow. He looked to a gap beneath a dumpster as several moogers leapt forth. He just looked to them as they produced weapons.

"Please, do not harm me." He told them. "You will not welcome..."

His words were cut off as one of them shot an arrow into his shoulder. He just looked at it contemptuously. He could feel the beast rising, he could just feel it. He knew it was coming. As another arrow slammed home, he barely flinched, instead just looking to it.

"I warned you." He rasped as he looked up. By now, his eyes were yellow, and had narrow, reptilian slits for pupils. He just smiled. "You will find, I am not good company when enraged!"

He fell upon the moogers without warning or pity.

The following morning at the Shiba House, the Rangers were busy training when Serena came out, whistling contentedly. They all knew why she was happy. Today was the day that Peter was coming home.

"So Serena, you seem happy." Mike started in a light tone, stepping off the mat as he saw her. She could see the look on his face, and knew that he was thinking of all the ways he could try to tease her.

"Yes Mike, today's the day Peter gets out the hospital." She told him in a sigh. "Just get it off your chest."

"Well, have you told him at least?" Emily asked as she came over. Serena just nodded her head.

"He knows." Serena said, biting her lip nervously. She had indeed let Peter know how she felt. She hadn't exactly been all smooth and stuff as she was sure Emily expected of her. At times Emily put her on a pedestal and expected a lot more of her than she felt was really possible. She understood that she was Emily's big sister, and was for the most part her idol and role model, but she also was a person with her own failings, weaknesses Emily kind of failed to see. It made trying to live up to Emily's expectations pretty exhausting. "We um...we know where we both stand."

"So have you guys kissed?" Mike asked her. Serena just nodded, at which her little sister let out an excited little squeal and rushed over, hugging her tightly.

"Emily, I can't exactly drive to the hospital if you're hanging around my neck now can I?" Serena commented. "I know you're excited..."

"I bet you're even more excited." Emily replied as she pulled back her own head, without letting go of her sister. "So are you two dating? Is he staying? Are you two...?"

"Emily, we've not discussed anything like that." Serena told her. "To be honest...we didn't really discuss much of anything when I told him."

"Was your mouth a little too busy?" Mike teased her. Serena just gave him a warning glare as she stuck a finger in his face.

"You're still manhandling my baby sister remember?" She warned him. "I don't need any more reason than that to decide I don't like you and start kicking your ass."

"Jeez, Peter picked the right sister." Mike grumbled as he backed down. "Are you sure he's got a choice in this matter?"

"He didn't seem to object." Serena replied, chewing her lip a little as Emily continued to hug her. She knew that Emily had been pulling for them to get together all along, but she thought that might also be a problem. She and Peter had still never really talked much about what they wanted from each other, or from what they had. In all honesty, since she had kissed him in the rehab room...they hadn't really talked about much at all. They had just kind of spent all their time together making out. It wasn't like she objected, but she knew that these questions would need to be answered eventually, and that they would have to make some decisions, especially since it was likely only a couple of weeks until Peter would have to face the decision whether or not he was going back to Japan, but the fact that Emily was hanging so many of her expectations on the newest couple just made things harder.

Serena always knew that Emily idolised her, and in some ways had a set of rose-tinted glasses on whenever she thought about her, or observed her. Yes, she had done alright in school, but she was no superstar like Emily seemed to believe, and as a result of her illness, she had barely even graduated, one of the reasons she was now taking on online courses as Emily had recommended.

She was better with a sword and knew more about Samurai history than Emily, but that was more down to the fact she had started learning younger than Emily did since everyone always believed she would be the Yellow Ranger than any form of talent. If she was forced to admit it with a lot of arm-twisting, she always thought that Emily had a lot more innate talent than she ever had. The Ape Zord just took to her naturally, and she seemed to pick up Symbol Power and sword techniques a lot more quickly than Serena could remember doing so during her training. She always believed that Emily was her own worst enemy when it came to her progress, and that if she had a little more confidence and just believed in herself the way she did, her power level would increase exponentially. She could still remember being barely conscious when Emily took on Dekker while she lay helplessly at the campfire. The symbols she was casting, the way she waylaid him when she didn't give herself time to think and doubt herself in battle had shown her a side of the Yellow Ranger that few ever saw, and she never did. It was the side that convinced Serena that Emily really was the best choice for the role.

Unfortunately, Emily's expectations made everything harder. Since Emily now knew that Serena and Peter had kissed, she now expected them to have a fairy tale "happily ever after" ending. The fact was that even Serena had no idea what Peter meant to her. More accurately, she had no idea what she meant to Peter, whether she was just a holiday romance to him.

A fact that Emily didn't seem to know, or take into account was the fact that Serena was not as experienced in the romance department as she believed. Serena had been the "it" girl as school, the one that everyone wanted to be with, and all the guys would talk about. Her constant training had left her with the kind of body that guys of a certain age group when their hormones screamed far louder than their brains really liked, but she had never really been in any kind of major relationship. She had dated a couple of guys, but so far her longest relationship had lasted four dates, up until the guy had made clear what he expected of her, and had made the foolish decision to say something about Emily. He had ended up in the casualty ward very quickly afterwards.

The most memorable incident was during a senior year party. Serena had a hopeless five-star crush on the son of the local deacon. After more than a few too many drinks, she had pounced on him, kissing him in front of everyone...before promptly throwing up all over his shirt. She really wished that was one of those times alcohol caused one of the legendary "blackouts" it was meant to, but she remembered every detail of the time she spent outside as Patrick held her hair carefully, while explaining to her that he was already engaged to a girl from another parish as she lost what little contents remained in her stomach.

The fact was, this was something Serena had no idea about. While she had been on dates before, no one had ever made her feel the way Peter did. She got butterflies in her stomach just thinking about him, never mind actually seeing him. She didn't know what she meant to him. Was she a holiday romance? A 'bit of skirt' that he would forget within a couple of weeks when he returned to the Tengen Gate?"

"Emily, if you don't let go, I can't exactly drive to the hospital and bring him home now can I?" Serena asked her sister, trying to feign a light-hearted mood. The truth was that her heart and her mind wouldn't give up for a moment. While he was being discharged from hospital into their care, she knew that it would only be another couple of weeks or so until he was healthy enough to travel and could potentially return to Japan leaving her behind. She kept telling herself that it was for Emily's sake that she didn't let on how deeply this whole thing was affecting her, and that it was just a casual thing, but just the thought of having to watch him get on a plane to return to Japan terrified her. Emily just let go of her sister.

"Go on then." Emily replied. "Bring home my brother-in-law..."

"Emily stop!" Serena warned her. Although she had a smile on her face as Emily said it, she really wished her sister didn't make such a big deal out of the whole thing. Serena just headed for the door, picking up the keys to the SUV, trying to ignore Emily as she hummed the wedding march.

"Em, do you think you're laying it on a bit thick?" Mike asked her. "I mean, they have only kissed."

"Hey, I'm the baby sister right?" She reminded him. "It's my job to tease her."

"Yeah just...try to remember that this isn't an easy time." Mike told her. "You do remember we didn't exactly act all smooth when we got together right?"

"You don't have any siblings do you?" She asked him. "Half the fun of having them is teasing them. Serena did it to me all the time."

"Well...just go easy." Mike told her. "For what it's worth, I think she might be nervous about this whole thing."

"You're just scared of her because you're touching her precious baby sister." Emily replied, sticking her tongue out at him. Mike just laughed as he wrapped his arms around her.

"There might be some truth in that." He told her, pulling her in for a long, passionate kiss.

A little way off, Antonio was watching the whole scene, while holding a box of baby wipes. Jayden was changing Alexandra yet again. He was beginning to wonder whether or not she ever retained any food, because the amount of time she spent on the changing mat felt like it far exceeded the amount of time she spent feeding.

"Wipe." Jayden stated. Antonio just held the box forward with a little sigh as he took a couple.

Antonio understood the responsibility Jayden had now. He really did. He had spent so long on the road that he had met more than a few people who had kids of their own. He knew that once a kid was in the picture, their own lives kind of got shelved while they took care of them. He had never really anticipated it as a problem though. He had always known about his own sexuality. Even though he had come out openly as a teenager, he had always known that girls were not his thing, and he knew that the "facts of life" were not something that really concerned him too deeply. He had never foreseen ever having a family. Now though, he had one whether he liked it or not.

He also knew that it wasn't Alexandra's fault. She never asked to be born, it just kind of...was. It might have been different if she had been born as a result of an affair or something, at least then he would have had a right to scream at Jayden and be pissed off, but given the way everything had gone down, he knew that Jayden was just as surprised as he was about her existence. He didn't really have a right to yell at Jayden and let it all out, it wasn't as though he had done anything.

"Wow, another full load." Jayden chuckled as he pulled off the diaper and held it over towards Antonio. "Here."

"You know, not everyone finds piss and shit adorable." Antonio sighed as he got a diaper bag and held it open for Jayden to drop the soiled diaper in.

"She can't help it can she?" Jayden replied, making some faces at her as he continued to clean her up. Antonio just took a deep breath, regretting it somewhat given the smell that Jayden had already seemed to build up something of immunity to.

"Listen Jay...we've both been run pretty ragged with her recently." Antonio began. "One of my regular customers is in a theatre company. He says they're putting on a production of Rocky Horror. I wondered if you'd..."

"I don't think that's the kind of thing that's really too kid friendly." Jayden interrupted him. Antonio rolled his eyes.

"I wasn't suggesting taking the baby along." He clarified. "You do realise she has three aunt and two uncles right? She'll survive for one night."

"Antonio, she's my daughter." Jayden told him flatly as he finished wiping her down and reached for the baby powder. "That means..."

"Yeah she's your responsibility, I know that!" Antonio grumbled. "But that doesn't mean your life ends for the next 18 years. You are allowed to take a night off once in a while and let someone babysit."

"Antonio, she's only been here for a week." Jayden responded.

"Yeah, and in that week the closest I've had to having you to myself was an hour when she was asleep at about four in the morning before you passed out." Antonio replied.

"What am I meant to do Antonio?" Jayden asked him.

"You're meant to appreciate that Alex isn't the only thing in your life." Antonio told him. "I'm not asking you to ditch her; I'm just asking you to remember that it wasn't that long ago you called me your boyfriend."

"Antonio, I really can't deal with this right now." Jayden told him, strapping a diaper onto his daughter and beginning to bounce her as he put on the bottle warmer to feed her. One fact he had found was that a child's body seemed to be a never-ending feeding factory. As soon as she had "deposited" her last lot of food, it would not be long before she noticed her stomach was empty and demand that it was re-filled.

"Jayden..."

"She's less than a year old; she has an excuse for demanding all my time!" Jayden snapped at him. "You just don't get that do you? It's not just us anymore!"

"I get that, I get it loud and clear." Antonio said in a slightly aggressive tone. "And for the record, I'm not demanding all of your time, I'm only asking for a couple of hours. A couple of hours that may just help you relax and rest for a little while. You know, things that may actually help you look after her?"

"The conversation's over Antonio." Jayden put down flatly. "If you want to go to the play, go ahead. I won't stop you."

"Fine." Antonio replied as he stormed out. Jayden knew that Antonio wasn't really being selfish, he just missed him. They had barely even begun their relationship when Alexandra came into their lives. It wasn't unreasonable that Antonio expected to be able to have more time with him. So far, their entire relationship had consisted of a few stolen moments, and about half a date at a karaoke bar before Jayden was even willing to admit that they were in a relationship. However, Ji had always told him what it was like raising kids. He had told him many times that the parents' needs always came second. Alexandra started to realise she was hungry and protest as the bottle warmer clicked off.

"I'm getting there." He whispered to her as he laid her down gently. He took the bottle and splashed some onto his wrist to check it for temperature. It was still a little warm, so he rested it aside and picked her back up to comfort her while she waited for her meal. "It's alright, it'll be ready soon."

Over in Japan, Ji was by the side of the road, walking along slowly with his hand extended, hitching for a lift. As a result of his impromptu swim, his cell phone wasn't working, and he hadn't had an opportunity to stop somewhere to get it fixed. He knew he had a long way to go, and while he was now dry, he knew he had to keep moving.

Finally, a trucker pulled in as he saw him hitching. Ji ran to where the truck had pulled in and opened the door. The driver looked to him and began speaking in Japanese.

"_Where are you going?_" He asked.

"_Third exit along._" Ji told him. The driver just looked at him like he was mad.

"_That's miles from anywhere!_" He commented as Ji climbed in. Ji just shrugged.

"_I like the wilderness._" He replied. The trucker just shook his head.

"_Alright, if you insist._" He replied as he pulled away. Ji just strapped on his safety belt as they pulled away.


	3. Collect Call

On the outskirts of the city, a man started to come to, finding his clothing barely hanging on his frame. He was a lot more in control of the beast this time around, meaning he could still remember what he did in both forms, and his human mind could transfer basic thoughts to his other form. After the battle against the Moogers, the beast had brought him here.

Being once more in full control of his human form, he knew that he still had a way to go before his journey was at an end. Checking what was left of his clothing, he found to his horror that somewhere on his journey, he had lost his wallet, meaning that he now didn't have any money to take him the rest of the way. He staggered along the road, finding a public phone a little way off. He picked up the handset and triggered the cradle a few times.

"Operator?" He asked. "I need to make a collect call."

In the Shiba House, Jayden was busy feeding Alexandra when the phone started ringing. He looked to Mike, who was playing Wii tennis with Emily at the time.

"Mike, can you get that?" He asked. Mike just looked to him.

"Can't someone else get it?" He asked.

"Mia and Kevin went out." Jayden replied in exasperation. "Antonio's not here and Serena's still not back from the hospital."

"Yes!" Emily screamed as the ball soared past Mike's player, scoring the winning point while he was distracted. She started to dance around a little, revelling in her victory.

"Aw man!" Mike groaned. "Now look what you made me do!"

"Mike?" Jayden asked, pointing to the phone, reminding him of the phone ringing. Mike just went to the phone, picking it up. "Hello?"

"Hello sir, this is the operator." The voice on the other end stated. "I have a collect call for Mr. Ji..."

"Uh, Ji isn't here." Mike told her.

On the other end, the stranger could hear the conversation. He cursed his luck, he had no idea that Ji wasn't at home.

"Oh, well..."

"He's out of the country." Mike told her. "He won't be back for the foreseeable future..."

"Mike!" Jayden called over as Alexandra started to protest. "Who is it?"

"It's someone on a collect call for Ji." He replied. Meanwhile, on the other end, the stranger heard the baby cry. He just hung up the phone and left, beginning the long trek into town.

"I got that much, who is it?" Jayden asked. Mike went back to the phone. "Who is it?"

"I'm sorry sir; it appears the other party has hung up." The operator told him after failing to get a response on the other end. Mike just shrugged and hung up.

"The other guy hung up." Mike told him. "It was probably just a crank call or something."

"I hope so." Jayden sighed, realising that it was really too late to worry about Mike's questionable phone manner. "Alright, I'm taking the baby out for a walk. I'll have my Samuraizer on me if I'm needed.

"Alright, have fun!" Mike called out as Jayden started to get Alexandra's stuff ready. As he gathered up his jacket and started to take her out the door, Mike turned his attention back to Emily and the Wii. "Alright, let's see about a rematch..."

"Is that the best idea you can come up with?" Emily asked him. Mike just looked slightly aghast.

"Come on! You only won because Jayden distracted me!" He protested. "I need to..."

"Mike, think about it!" Emily told him. "Mentor's away, Jayden's just gone for a walk with Alexandra, Mia and Kevin are out somewhere..."

"Yeah, and Serena's not going to be back for a while with Peter, so we have about an hour or so..." He was about to reiterate that they had the Wii to themselves, when his brain started to tick over and he realised what Emily was getting at. She just raised her eyebrows as she could see that the penny had finally dropped. "We have the place to ourselves!"

She shut off the console and gestured him over to the couch. Mike wrapped his arms around her as they lowered into the cushions, kissing passionately.

In another part of town, Kevin and Mia were driving slowly through some back streets in an area they normally wouldn't venture into. Part of Mia's conditions for accepting his proposal was that Kevin would help her find Aaron, so that she could talk to him and get closure in the worst chapter of her life. He had been set up with a homeless shelter for a while, but normally they only allowed people to stay for a few days at a time. He had long since left, and so they were forced to go searching the usual homeless haunts for him.

Mia was a little quiet as they looked for Aaron. She would have thought that it was worth checking out some more public areas, given the fact they knew he would go busking to earn money, but so far they had seen no sign of him, and so they were searching in the off-chance that he was sleeping somewhere. They had already been searching for quite some time and even asked a few people if they had seen him. So far though, they had not had any luck. On the streets, people tended to keep to themselves. Even those that may have seen him, they were beginning to wonder if they WOULD tell them, given the fact that often people took refuge on the streets specifically because they didn't want to be found.

She still didn't really know what Aaron's story was. Before he turned up in town again, the last time she had heard anything, he had gone on tour with his band in search of a contract. Obviously given the fact that he was now homeless and was busking for spare change things hadn't worked out like that. Despite how badly he had hurt her, and what he had done to her before he left, she would never have wished him to end up destitute. She wasn't the kind of person who would wish such misfortune on anyone.

"Alright, maybe we should try that street." Kevin suggested, pointing down an alley behind a bakery. It didn't seem like a bad option to try. The vents out the back would provide heat, while they presumed that the bins in the area would likely have some food. He parked up and they both got out, starting to make their way into the alley.

It was something of an education for both of them. While the city was relatively affluent, actually searching for someone on the streets had highlighted to them a problem they really hadn't thought much about. There were a few rags and tattered blankets, together with sheets of cardboard lying around, and even a few boxes, all of which they had learned were signs that people had been sleeping there. Mia stopped near one pile of rags, finding that it stirred a little, indicating that someone was sleeping underneath it.

"Aaron?" She asked. An arm started to wave her away, but she pressed on, kneeling down. "Aaron?"

"No." The voice grumbled. "Get lost, I'm trying to sleep." She just sighed and got up, yet another dead end.

"I never thought it would be so hard to find him." Mia said to Kevin.

"I have to admit, it's surprising me too." Kevin told her. He was beginning to regret his decision to throw Aaron out of the Shiba House. It was the last time they had seen him.

"Maybe we should try the mall again." She suggested. "It's getting to the busy period. He could be looking for money."

Just then, Kevin nudged her as he saw a man stumbling down the street a little way off. He looked decidedly different from a lot of the other homeless people they had seen around. His clothes were ragged, and barely hanging on his frame, but they could see that it had, at one time, been an expensive suit.

"I guess this can happen to anyone." Kevin sighed. "What do you suppose his story is?"

Just then, the man looked up, seeing them down the street. He could see the SUV parked at the end of the street, and more importantly, he could see the Shiba Clan symbol on the side. He started to make his way towards them.

"Help me." He begged them. "Please, help me..."

"Uh...OK." Kevin answered. Seeing so many unfortunate people in one day, he wanted to help, but he knew that he couldn't help everyone, and he was reluctant to give out money, in case he just encouraged more people to come and ask. He found a card for the homeless shelter in his pocket. "This place isn't far from here. They should be able to give you somewhere to stay tonight..."

"No, please you don't understand!" He called out. "I know who you are! I need to warn you...!"

"Well thanks for the warning sir." Kevin answered as he and Mia got back into the SUV and started the engine. "Now, we have to go now, but that shelter should help you."

"No, wait!" The man called after them as they drove off. "You're in terrible danger!"

He felt a sharp pain in his head, and his hands started to stiffen up into claw shapes. He could see them starting to shift into talons, and it took all of his concentration to stop the beast rising.

"I need to find them." He whispered as he ran off.

Over in the hospital, Serena was standing in the corner of the room as the doctor gave Peter his last few tests before discharging him. He was moving around one of Peter's arms to check the range of movement. Peter grunted a little and winced in pain as he pulled at his wound.

"Well, it seems to be healing up nicely, and the strength seems to be building up well." The doctor told him. "I'd like to keep track of you in regular rehab appointments which the nurse can arrange for you, but other than that, I think you're ready to go home."

"I'm pretty glad to hear that." Peter admitted. "No offence, but the beds aren't too comfortable, and the food..."

"You don't have to tell me." The doctor chuckled. "All things considered, I'm totally sympathetic to the plight of long-term patients."

"He still seems to be in quite a bit of pain." Serena said, chewing her fingernails nervously. "Does he need anything?"

"I think as long as he rests and doesn't push himself too hard he should be just fine." The doctor assured her. "However, if the discomfort is bad, you can always take an over-the-counter pill."

"Alright then, I guess all that's left is to get you home." Serena commented.

"I'll have the desk draw up your discharge papers." The doctor declared cheerfully. "Next time try to be more careful around sharp objects. All things considered, you've been quite lucky young man."

"I'll try to remember that." Peter answered as he pulled on a t-shirt, replacing his glasses on his face afterwards. As the doctor left, Serena stood in front of him, smiling.

"Well, Ji left us some money for emergencies before he left." Serena told him. "All things considered, I think some pizza would be in order."

"Just what the doctor ordered." Peter replied as he stood up, moving closer to Serena. "Thanks for all the attention. You have no idea how much it helped."

"Well, there is a way you can repay me." Serena replied as she reached behind his head, pulling him down and kissing him softly. He just smiled as he parted.

"I think I can just about manage that." He replied.

Antonio arrived at the theatre in the early evening, finding that there was already a modest crowd forming. It was a relatively small local theatre, but it seemed that even they had their following. Rocky Horror had a cult following of its own, as evidenced by the number of people who had turned up in costume. He was feeling a little underdressed all things considered, but there was no amount of money in the world that was going to convince him to wear a black leather basque.

He saw that a few of the actors were among the crowd, talking to them before the performance. One of the things about the smaller theatre groups was that the performances were a little less formal, and interacting with the crowd added something special to the show that just wasn't present in larger venues. He could see Jeffrey, the regular customer who had invited him to the theatre, talking with a few of the fans.

He was taller than Antonio, and had an insanely muscular build. One of the reasons he was so fond of Antonio's business was that he was heavily into working out and healthy eating as evidenced by his chiselled physique and Antonio's wares fell right within his dietary requirements for maintaining his build. He had dyed his hair platinum blonde, and he was wearing shiny gold shorts, marking him as having been chosen for the role of Rocky. He saw Antonio and smiled, waving him over.

"Hey, you made it!" He called out. Antonio smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I wouldn't miss it." Antonio told him. "Rocky Horror's one of my favourite musicals. I always did love The Time Warp."

"Well I'm glad to see you." Jeffrey told him, looking around. "Are you with anyone tonight?"

"No, tonight I'm flying solo." Antonio sighed. He was still a little upset about the fight with Jayden. He knew that Jayden was having a hard time getting used to the new demands placed upon him by Alexandra's arrival. As much as he had to admit that part of the reason he was upset was that by nature they were spending less time alone together, it wasn't purely jealousy that plagued him. He also wanted Jayden to get a chance to relax a little and let someone else take some of the strain for a little while. He hated seeing Jayden running himself ragged trying to take on everything himself. He was still recovering from his duel with Dekker, and while he had been quiet recently, Master Xandred was also still out there, planning his next move. It was only good fortune that he had not done so while Jayden was still recovering, something that had to have crossed all their minds. Jeffrey nodded as he showed Antonio over to the concession stand.

"Well, I'm sure you'll have a good time anyway." He replied. "After the performance, we're all meeting up for champagne; you're welcome to join us for the after-party."

"I'll think about it." Antonio answered as he got out his wallet, making his way to the concession stand. As Jeffrey watched him go, a bald-headed man wearing a black cloak came over, tapping him on the shoulder.

"It's time to go backstage." He told him. "Linda's calling first positions."

"Alright, I'm just coming." Jeffrey said as he gave Antonio one last look, before following his fellow cast mate into the theatre.

Meanwhile, back at the Shiba House, Jayden was just heating up a bottle, while the others sat around, talking in the main room. Peter hadn't really spent long with the others before the duel, and so for the most part, they were all really just getting to know each other. He had his arm around Serena, who seemed to be only too happy to hold him in return, beaming brightly as they talked with the others. Emily was sitting as close as Serena would allow to Peter, being really interested in finding out more about the guy that made her sister so happy.

Mia and Kevin were disappointed that they hadn't found any sign of Aaron. After a busy day of searching, they hadn't found him, but they were still determined to find him so that Mia could say what she needed to. Mike was just concluding one of his stories as he the others laughed. The door sounded, and they all looked around.

"That sounds like the pizza." Jayden stated as he kept Alexandra occupied. "Mike, get that will you? And try to do a better job than you did with the phone."

He went to the door, finding the pizza guy waiting patiently. He looked to the check to rhyme off the order.

Three full-size pies with everything, one meat delight, one vegetable medley and one seafood special." He told him. "That's eighty three dollars plus tip."

"You got here in good time." Mike commented, checking his watch. Like a lot of places, the pizza place had a guarantee that if the food wasn't there within forty five minutes, it was on the house. Mike got out some money and counted it out, before handing it to the guy, taking the pizzas.

"Enjoy the pizza." The delivery guy said as he left. Mike just went inside as the pizza guy got back to the jeep. He found a man in a shredded suit, leaning on the vehicle, completely exhausted. He could see that the man did not look well.

"Dude, are you alright?" He asked. The stranger looked up at him, and the pizza guy could see his eyes starting to glow.

"Help me!" He begged, but the pizza guy was too freaked out. Instead, he just leapt into the jeep and drove off as quickly as he could, leaving the stranger behind. The stranger looked to the Shiba House wearily and started to lurch towards it, wincing in pain from his bleeding, bare feet with every step up the path.

Inside, the Rangers were starting to distribute the pizzas, when Emily found the seafood one. She looked to Jayden as she found it. She knew that they generally ordered one for Antonio out of habit.

"Jayden, is Antonio coming back?" Emily asked him. Jayden just sighed and shook his head as he realised that he had ordered the seafood out of habit as usual. He still regretted the fight with him earlier, and he was hoping that he would be home by now.

"He said something about a production of Rocky Horror." Jayden told her regretfully. "I doubt he'll be back too early."

Just then, they heard a sound from outside. Jayden snapped to his feet as the sound was accompanied with a bright flash.

"The security symbols!" Jayden rushed out as he ran out into the yard, followed by the other Rangers. He arrived, finding the stranger on the ground a little way off, having been sent flying by the repulsing energy of the security symbols surrounding the Shiba House.

"I thought humans weren't affected by the symbols." Mike commented.

"They're not." Jayden replied summoning his Spin Sword as the stranger got to his feet, staggering back-first into the wall. It was then that Kevin got a good look at him.

"It's that guy from before!" He called out.

"Whatever he is, he's not human." Jayden replied. She stranger looked at them desperately as he clutched his wrist, finding his hand glowing ominously.

"Please Jayden; you need to listen to me!" He rushed out.

"How do you know my name?" Jayden asked the man. "What are you?"

"Please, allow me inside..." He then saw Serena behind the Rangers, holding Alexandra. His eyes glowed as he saw her, and his voice changed.

"Her!" He roared in a bestial snarl as he lunged forward, his hands turning into claws. There was another flash and a loud bang as he was thrown clean over the wall into the street by the power of Ji's security symbols. Jayden rushed out of the gate, seeing the man beginning to turn into what could only be described as a dinosaur. He held his Spin Sword ready.

"You're not getting in here!" Jayden told him. "Go tell Xandred his plan has failed!"

The monster roared its defiance as it glared at Jayden.

"Fool! I am no more a friend to Xandred than you are!" He roared. "Your power symbols keep me from helping you!"

"Yeah, because you really look like the kind of guy we want to invite in for pizza." Mike responded sarcastically. The creature just turned tail and fled into the night.

"What was that all about?" Kevin asked.

"I have no idea." Jayden answered honestly. "But it can't get in here. For now, that's good enough."

He went to Serena, taking Alexandra from her as they filed back into the house.


	4. Faith

The creature had fled the Shiba House in a panic, confronted as it was by the Rangers, the small remnant of its human mind wresting control and stopping it from attacking. It had charged through the forest back in the direction of the city. It came to rest in a dark alley, and he glared at his reflection hatefully. He had been rid of the beast for almost a decade before circumstances had changed. It was a part of his life, one of his creations he was only too happy to see destroyed, and yet he was forced to recreate it. He smashed a clawed hand down onto the puddle, splashing it all over the street in a vain attempt to destroy the reflection.

He crouched to his knees and clasped his clawed hands over his face as he concentrated on his true mind, his real self, and tried to recall the beast within.

"Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name..." He began his mantra; one of his talons straying to the crucifix around his neck as he began the ritual he knew always granted him the strength to suppress the beast, no matter how close it was to regaining his mind.

"Thy kingdom come,  
>Thy will be done,<br>On Earth as it is in heaven."

He felt his heart returning to a normal beat, and his body beginning to shrink once more, beginning to take on its natural form. It was working.

"Give us this day our daily bread,  
>And forgive us our sins,<br>As we forgive those who sin against us."

This was an important part of the prayer for him. He had always been a good man. Although the press had occasionally accused him of all manner of things, and in the process of creating his empire it was not always clear where some decisions lay on the moral sliding scale, he had always strived for the betterment of mankind. All of his research, and all the projects he had financed had always been intended for use to improve the world, but the thing he learned the hard way was that any science and any development could be both a blessing and a curse. After all, even Einstein in his pursuit of an energy source had inadvertently created one of the most devastating weapons ever devised. As much as it was never his intent, he had more than a few sins in his life that he had begged forgiveness for.

"For thou art the Kingdom,  
>The Power and the Glory,<br>Forever, Amen!" He concluded the prayer. Looking down to the puddle, he could now see the human face, his true face, and smiled a little, realising that it had worked, and the beast was once more at bay. He then heard a small cough behind him, and turned to see a priest standing behind him.

"It is a comfort is it not?" He asked. The man wondered briefly what the priest had seen, but then his logic kicked in and he realised that he would have been unlikely to still be standing there if he had seen the beast. He would have likely run, screaming for his life. He just nodded.

"I imagine it is to you too father." He replied.

"Come on in." The priest said, coming over and putting his arm around him, helping the stranger up. It was only then that he realised that he had stopped outside of a chapel. It was an interesting coincidence, though a part of him wondered if it was. Since defeating the beast last time, he had turned heavily to faith, having been confronted with true evil, quite literally within him. "What has happened to you my son? What terrible misfortune has befallen you to leave you on my doorstep in this way?"

The stranger had to admit that he had to look like quite a sight. He was wearing a suit that cost more than many people would consider appropriate to spend on a family car, but it was shredded, and barely hanging on his frame. He no longer had shoes, and he was covered in grime, cuts and bruises.

"It is a long tale father, one I believe would be better served for another time." The stranger replied.

"Then let me help where I can." The priest suggested. "My parishioners donate clothing. Perhaps I can find you something warm to wear?" The stranger just smiled.

"I would also like to rest and pray." He answered. "I will not be long..."

"Think nothing of it." The priest assured him. It was late, and the stranger figured given the fact the lights were off that he was probably intending to go home for the night, but the priest just gestured to his crucifix. "You should know, this is a house to which all are always welcome."

"Thank you father." The stranger replied as he guided the stranger inside, out of the night.

Over at the theatre, Antonio was in the crowd, who were all on their feet, joining in with a show-closing encore performance of "The Time Warp" performed by the entire cast. He had always loved The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and this company in particular had performed it with a certain passion and gusto that had drawn the crowd in. A cheer went up as the cast finished the song and came to the front of the stage to accept applause and take a bow.

Antonio was still smiling as he started to gather up his belongings and file out of the theatre with the other fans. He still felt terrible about the fight with Jayden earlier that same day. He wished he could have found the strength within him to stay and talk to him, but his frustration had just boiled over, and he had walked out. In many ways, part of him thought it was for the best that they both parted and return to discuss the matter properly with cooler heads, but another part of him wondered if perhaps he had already made a huge mistake in walking away.

It wasn't Jayden's fault that Alexandra had come into their lives. It wasn't her fault either. Indeed, he wasn't really sure whose fault it was. If Jayden's version of events was to be believed, even he didn't know who had taken the samples, or who had decided to use them. He hated the way it made him feel, but he couldn't deny that a large part of him just felt cheated. Jayden had only just admitted what he felt, and they had only just started to be open about their relationship. They had only just started to have what the others had all taken for granted when Jayden suddenly had yet another huge responsibility thrust upon him.

As he was walking out, he felt a hand grab his shoulder, and he turned to see Jeffrey, the actor who had played Rocky on the show standing, smiling at him.

"So you liked the show?" He asked. Antonio just nodded.

"Yeah, it was really good." The Gold Ranger told him. "I would say it was as good as the original..."

"You don't need to flatter us, that's a bench mark that we'd never attain." Jeffrey told him. "Anyway, the after-party should be starting soon. Don't you want to stick around?"

"Thanks, but I should really..."

"Come on, just stay for a little while." Jeffrey pressed on. "There's champagne, and I'm sure a lot of the fans will be fawning all over us, usually it's such a bore. You're one of the few that doesn't seem completely star struck."

Antonio thought about it for a moment, and Jeffrey just looked at him pleadingly.

"Come on, just a little while?" He asked. Antonio just smiled.

"I guess the customers can put up with stock from the freezer for one day." He answered as he followed Jeffrey to the backstage area.

Over in Japan, Ji hopped out of the cab of a truck by the side of the road, thanking the driver as he gathered his belongings. He was still some way from where he needed to be, but he knew that the roads would not take him much closer, not that he could afford any witnesses anyway.

He heard a rustling in some bushes a little way off and turned around, facing into the undergrowth.

"_Who's there?_" He called out in Japanese. "_Show yourself!_"

A man came out of the undergrowth, wearing the robes of the guardians of the Tengen Gate, at which Ji took a step forward. Although he was sure Daisuke would send someone to meet him, he was also aware of the devious nature of the Nighlock.

"_The Elder Guardian Daisuke has sent me._" The Guardian announced.

"_Show me the seal._" Ji demanded of him. The guardian reached into his robe, at which Ji activated the hidden blade, just in case he needed it. As the man pulled out a scroll, he threw it to Ji, keeping his hands where they could be seen.

Ji inspected the scroll, finding that it was bound, and sealed with a red wax seal, bearing the crest of the Tengen Guardian. Ji used the hidden blade to slice it open, and opened it out, finding the scroll apparently blank.

He held the scroll under his left arm, as he drew the hidden blade across his own palm, slicing it open. He then retrieved the scroll, and touched the hand to it, at which it started to glow. He bound his hand as the blood stain on it shifted, and formed into Kanji symbols, spelling out a message written in Daisuke's unmistakable hand. He read it, though it was a mere formality. Only Daisuke knew the power symbols required to write in that cipher, which confirmed that the messenger was indeed his. He withdrew the blade, looking to the messenger.

"I apologise." Ji stated, switching back to English. "We cannot be too careful."

"Indeed we cannot." The messenger agreed. "I have a pair of horses nearby. Master Daisuke ordered me to get you to the Temple before anyone knows of your arrival."

"Then we will have to ride quickly." Ji stated, looking to the sky. "Come, lead the way."

Back in the states, Antonio was sitting by a table that had been set up as an impromptu bar backstage in the theatre, casually sipping a bottle of beer as the after party rolled on. He could see the real theatre lovers fawning over the actors and complimenting them on their wonderful performance, raising a little laugh from him as he recalled what Jeffrey had told him. He barely even registered as Jeffrey sat down next to him.

"Two more." The actor told the stage hand acting as a barman. He held one where Antonio could see it, attracting his attention. "So...having fun?"

"Yeah." Antonio replied in a little sigh. Jeffrey just laughed.

"Wow!" Jeffrey chuckled. "Don't ever become an actor."

"Excuse me?" Antonio asked him.

"That was the least convincing statement I've ever heard." Jeffrey teased him. He just looked at Antonio and smiled. "You don't really want to be here do you?"

"Not really no." Antonio commented. "Sorry, I'm not great company right now..."

"Well, maybe I can change that." Jeffrey suggested. "I mean, sometimes all that's needed to change a bad night into a good night."

Antonio just took a sip of beer, before turning back to the table. Jeffrey looked to him for a moment, before realising that he just wasn't getting the point he was trying to make. He took out a pen and wrote something on a programme, sliding it to Antonio. The Gold Ranger just looked to it, a little puzzled, before looking to Jeffrey.

"I did ask you here tonight for a reason." He told him.

"Your phone number?" Antonio asked him. Jeffrey just nodded. Antonio just shook his head sadly and slid it back to him.

"Sorry if I gave you the wrong idea." He began. "I'm kind of with someone."

"Kind of?" Jeffrey asked him. He thought about it for a moment. "Is it that guy I saw helping you the other day? The one in the sling?"

"Yeah." Antonio told him. "His name's Jayden."

"So...what does 'kind of' mean?" Jeffrey asked him. Antonio wanted to answer, but the fact was that after the fight that morning, he wasn't really sure where they stood with each other. After all, it wasn't like they had hung around long enough to discuss what had happened and what it meant for them. He wasn't sure whether or not Jayden had taken his attempt to suggest he allow others to shoulder some of his responsibilities as an indication that he wasn't prepared to accept the fact that things had changed between them as a result of Alexandra's arrival.

"I'm not too sure." Antonio admitted. "I love him, but things...I don't know what's going on anymore."

"Well, I'd love to tell you that sometimes these things are more drama than they're worth." Jeffrey told him, taking a long slug of beer. "Unfortunately, I'm not exactly unbiased in that assessment. I really hope you figure it out."

As he got up to leave, Antonio noticed the programme still sitting on the table and picked it up.

"You forgot..."

"I didn't forget anything." Jeffrey told him. "When you figure it out...well...just in case."

As he left, Antonio just looked to the programme. Jeffrey was a pretty good looking guy, he had to admit that, but he couldn't stop thinking about Jayden and what had happened between them. He wanted to just leave the programme behind and leave, but as he was putting on his jacket, he found himself staring at it. Without really knowing why, he picked it up and shoved it in his pocket, before leaving the theatre to make the long walk home.

The stranger stirred as he felt a hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently. Looking around, he found himself laying on a pew, and realised that as he rested in the church, he must have fallen asleep. The fact that a blanket was draped over him informed him that the priest must have seen to it that he was as comfortable as he could make him.

"You fell asleep." The priest confirmed. "I made you comfortable."

"I apologise for keeping you father." The stranger stated, rubbing his eyes as he sat up. "I am sure you have other pressing business..."

"I never have any regrets helping one who is lost." He stated as he handed the stranger some clothing from the donations his parishioners had made for the homeless. It was nothing spectacular, just a red sweatshirt, a pair of denims, and a pair of slightly worn white trainers. "I have always had a certain fondness for Saint Anthony."

The stranger sniggered a little, hearing this. Saint Anthony was the Patron Saint of lost things. There were many times in his life, he could have described himself as 'lost'.

"Have I said something that amuses you?" The Priest asked him.

"Saint Anthony was my father's favourite Saint." The stranger told him. "He even named me after him."

"So at last I have a name I can call you." The priest said with a smile, extending a hand. "My name is Elijah."

"Anton." The man replied, shaking his hand. "Anton Mercer."

"Well, feel free to use the confessional for privacy while you change." Elijah stated, pointing the way. "It is not their traditional use, but I suppose the Lord will not object in this instance."

"Thank you Elijah." Anton replied.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" Elijah asked as Anton took the clothes and made his way towards the confessionals. "Perhaps I can contact the local shelter...?"

"I have important business to attend to." Anton told him. "You have already done more than enough for me Elijah. Believe me; I will repay your kindness when I can."

Anton went into the confessionals and started to remove his torn clothing. He was genuinely grateful for the kindness that had been shown to him by a man, who seemingly had nothing to gain from doing so. It didn't seem like the priest recognised his name, or the fact he had been on the fortune 500 list almost every year for over a decade. As he got dressed in the second-hand clothing, he made a mental note to ensure that he gave the chapel a generous donation once he finished his mission here and returned to his life and his fortune in Reefside. Right now though, he had a matter of vital importance to take care of.


	5. Anton's Plea

The sun was just rising over the tree line as Ji and the messenger rode to the crest of a hill far from the eyes of anyone. The Tengen Gate had been positioned in a secluded area as one of the most basic forms of protection. While it didn't seem like much from the outside, a simple temple, surrounded by a rather non-threatening looking wooden fence, it was in fact one of the most secure structures in the whole world for good reason. It held within its grounds the most complete records of the true history of the Samurai in existence, as well as several powerful artefacts. In its entire history, there had only ever been three times its perimeter had ever been breached by anyone who was not invited to enter, and as it presently stood, of those that had broken in, only one still lived.

"Master Daisuke has strengthened the perimeter's security enchantments." The messenger told him. "Now, even humans cannot enter without personal invitation of the Elder Guardian."

"It's just as well I have this then." Ji replied, patting the pocket he had put the scroll in. "I doubt running into that barrier would be a particularly pleasant experience."

"I can personally attest it is not." The messenger laughed. "As Master Daisuke's closest servant, it was my duty to test the new enchantments. I could barely move for two days."

Ji just laughed. The only duty that was arguably more hazardous to one's health as being a Samurai Ranger or the Elder Guardian was being the First Attendant. He was expected to be trained in the ancient ways, to master all the same magic as the Elder Guardian, and eventually to replace him once the Elder Guardian passed. However, the position required also that the First Attendant allow the Elder Guardian to test any and all enchantments he deemed necessary upon him. Of all the First Attendants in history, less than one percent had survived to become Elder Guardian. It was a position of honour alright, but it was also one that many had dubbed the "most honoured express route to the afterlife" there was.

"I can only imagine." He replied, waving the First Attendant on. He spurred his horse into a gallop, and Ji followed, keeping close to him and guiding his horse on the trail behind him, keeping as much as possible to the same hoof prints. The latest generations of guardians did not only use mysticism to protect the secrets of the Tengen Gate. Technology had been embraced following World War II, and now there were several less mystical booby traps to secure some of the trails. Ji barely saw the edge of a claymore mine in the bush as he galloped past.

They arrived by the gateway, at which they both reined in their horses and came to a stop. Even invited, Ji knew they could not simply ride a horse into one of the most sacred sites on Earth. He leapt off the horse, handing the reins to the First Attendant. As he turned back, he saw Daisuke hobbling out the gate, assisted by a stick as he came to greet him.

It had been many years since Ji had been to the gate, but he couldn't help feeling that Daisuke looked a lot older and a lot more frail than he could remember. Symbol Power drained the user of energy, and the more they used, the more they were drained. One of the reasons so few had lasted as Elder Guardian was because many simply could not deal with the strain put upon them by the use of Symbol Power required to keep up the defences of the Tengen Gate. Daisuke had always been deceptive in his appearance, easily capable of feats of arms that men in their twenties or thirties would be envious of. Such was his power; even the ravages of age had little effect on him. Now though, he looked truly frail, and he seemed to be in pain as he walked to greet his old friend.

"Ji, it has been far too long my friend." Daisuke greeted him with a handshake, which seemed to lack its usual strength. Ji forced a smile in response. Daisuke had not only buried his son within the last year, he had also suffered the indignity of an invasion upon sacred ground, and no doubt had expended a lot of time and energy on new measures to ensure it did not happen again. The weight of his duties were obviously taking their toll.

"Indeed it has." Ji replied. "Unfortunately I have no robes, and I know you would prefer it if I were dressed more appropriately."

"I shall have an attendant provide you with what you need." Daisuke told him. "Though first..."

"Of course." Ji replied as he unfastened the straps on the hidden blade and handed it to Daisuke. The carrying of blades was forbidden on the sacred grounds.

"Perhaps some tea is in order." Daisuke said as he turned and started to hobble back into the temple. "Meet me in my chambers once you have changed."

Ji couldn't help feeling sorry for Daisuke. He was not a young man, and the strain of the difficult times were obviously having an effect on him. Still, he knew that the sad fact was this was the life of the Elder Guardian. It was not an easy position to fulfil.

"I will show you to the guest chambers." The First Attendant told him, gesturing inside. "We will provide you with suitable clothing there."

Ji just hefted his bag onto his shoulder and followed him inside.

Back in the states, Anton found his way back to the Shiba House. He knew that because of the beast living within him that the mystical protections on the house would not allow him inside, he had found that out the hard way. Obviously the power symbols protecting the house did not understand the difference between Nighlocks and the monster born from his own science.

His science once again had placed the world in great danger. He knew that the Rangers were oblivious to the threat that now faced them, and unfortunately the baser instincts of Mezagog had caused him to act long before he could try to reason with them and explain who he was and why he was there. It would only make his job harder, since they now knew about the beast, and likely believed him to be an enemy.

He saw the older blonde leaving with the man in glasses he had seen the previous night, carrying bags full of training equipment. Both of them had hung back and let the others deal with the beast the previous night, so he reasoned that they probably were not Rangers. Perhaps that was the route to go down, speaking with them. Unfortunately another pair came out before he could make his move. It was the young man in green and the younger blonde girl, who was wearing a yellow sweater. He could remember from the days when he had been the major threat to the world that the Rangers who opposed him seemed to have a habit of wearing their assigned colours by habit, and remembering that they had been standing behind Jayden when he confronted him, he reasoned that they were the Green and Yellow Rangers.

He could see them standing, chatting with the older pair for a while, before the older blonde pulled one of the bamboo swords from her bag and swung it playfully into the younger blonde's rear as she ran away. He laughed a little seeing this, they were obviously siblings. There was no malice behind the gesture; it was just a response, no doubt to some form of teasing by the younger sister. They were joined shortly afterwards by the Pink and Blue Rangers, who seemed to be heading out for the day. He watched as they all said their goodbyes and headed off in their different directions.

He knew that meant there were only two people left in the house, Jayden and the baby. Unfortunately, as long as they remained in there, they were protected by the power symbols. He still had the difficulty of how he would get in, much less how he could get him to listen to what he had to warn him about.

It was then that he saw some movement. Another man, one he had not seen the previous night, was coming out of the house. He was wearing quite formal clothing, a kind of suit with a gold tie, and he seemed to be Hispanic. He saw Jayden coming out after him, carrying the baby. Pulling back into over, he watched.

"I told you Jayden, I need some time to myself." The other man sighed as he turned back towards him.

"You had all night to yourself!" Jayden complained. "Antonio, we need to talk about this."

"No Jayden, you need to talk, I need to think!" Antonio reiterated. He sighed deeply. "Look, I promise I'll talk when I'm ready, but I want to straighten my head out first. I don't want to say anything I'll regret."

He leaned in, gently stroking Jayden's hair, before turning and walking away. Anton made a note of what he had just seen. It answered a fair number of questions for him, and had offered him a potential way in to deliver the message he had to. He watched Antonio heading for the town, and waited a moment for Jayden to head back inside, before following him.

Back at the Tengen Gate, Daisuke was preparing some tea when Ji came in, kicking his shoes off at the door. He bowed to the Elder Guardian in a show of respect, which Daisuke returned.

"Please, take a seat." He beckoned Ji. Ji did as he was instructed, squatting into the Lotus position on a cushion as Daisuke set down the tray and poured them both some tea. He struggled a little to assume the position himself, something Ji noticed, but Daisuke saw his concern and just smiled.

"I am afraid that the latest enchantments I have created have taken quite a toll on me." He told Ji as he took up a cup and raised it to his lips. "Fortunately herbal remedies do not require any more of my power, and they do work to relieve some of the pain. Getting old does cost us does it not?"

"I am afraid it does." Ji agreed as he took a sip of his own tea.

"So, is what you told me true?" Daisuke asked him. "You have it?"

Ji laid down a roll of canvas, and unfurled it, showing him the fragment of Urumasa. Daisuke just looked to it, hardly able to believe that the cursed blade had been damaged so, and that it was possible they would be able to prevent it from harming anyone again.

"Jayden broke it when he defeated Dekker." Ji confirmed. "So far, he has not said anything that makes me suspect he is being called."

"Then whether it is yet to call him, or its master is not truly gone, we must presume we do not have much time." Daisuke replied. "Do you wish me to keep it here?"

"I would never ask that of you." Ji replied. "Besides, we both know that there is one place that is more secure."

"The Kin vault." Daisuke whispered, knowing what Ji was getting at. It was not far from the Tengen Gate, but few ever went there for good reason. "That is quite a treacherous quest to undertake."

"If I can ensure that no one ever wields this blade again, it will be worth it." Ji told him. "I will depart at noon."

"I suppose it would be pointless to try and convince you that my temple would be secure enough." Daisuke asked him. Ji just shook his head.

"If there is even a chance that it may call Jayden, I will do all I can to remove it from the world." Ji told him flatly.

"Your love for him is understandable." Daisuke said with a smile, recalling when he had met Jayden not so long before. "He has grown into a fine young man."

"His father would be proud." Ji answered.

"I have a feeling he is." Daisuke said in response, smiling at him. Ji couldn't help smiling back. Despite his age, Daisuke was as sharp as ever. "I shall have my attendants prepare you some supplies."

"Thank you." Ji said, finishing his tea. "I understand the mountains are treacherous."

"They will be no match for you." Daisuke told him. "But that doesn't mean I cannot help where I can."

Ji lifted the teapot, and poured himself another cup.

Back in the states, Antonio arrived in the local chapel, bowing his head and crossing himself as he entered.

He made his way down to the front, sitting on the second row of pews, and rested his hands on the first, bowing his head slightly as he started to pray.

"You look troubled my son." He heard a voice stating. He looked up and saw a priest standing over him. "My name is Elijah."

"Antonio." He replied. "Look, sorry to sound rude, but..."

"Any problem is easier if it is unburdened." Elijah replied, gesturing to the confessionals. Antonio smiled and shook his head.

"Sorry padre, but there's a reason I've not been to confession in..." Antonio paused as he thought about it. At one time he had been very staunch in his faith, visiting confessional at least once a week, and Mass on Sunday, often visiting more often whenever something was going on in his life. "Wow, ten years!" He gasped.

"That is a long time." Elijah agreed, sitting down with him. "Although I doubt any problem is too big for the Lord."

"Well, some aren't really in his area of interest." Antonio replied. "I was just thinking about my relationship..."

"Well, what could God value more than love?" Elijah asked him. Antonio just let out a small laugh.

"No offence padre, but there's a reason it's been so long since I came to the Chapel." Antonio told him. "Your boss in Rome isn't too fond of people like me."

It took him a moment, but the penny dropped what Antonio was trying to say. Instead of judging him though, Elijah just smiled.

"I may be of the faith, but that doesn't mean to say I agree with all points of doctrine." Elijah told him. "The way I see it, love is a gift from God, regardless of who it is between."

"But I thought..."

"The way I see it, the problem with any decisions made about God's will on Earth is they are made by men." Elijah told him. "Even if he is technically my 'boss' as you put it, who is the pope to decide what God wishes really?"

Antonio couldn't really answer that. He had really stopped coming to church when he came out. His local parish had taken a very dim view of his 'choice' as they had put it, and had started to shun him. He didn't really know why he had come here today of all days, but knowing that he had always found it easier to think in the quiet still of his old chapel, he had sought that out while he thought through his confusion.

"He is a man, and what place does man have in deciding what God believes?" He asked him with a little smile. "Take all the time you need my son, and believe me. My confessional is open if you change your mind."

He just left, leaving Antonio alone once more. He was not alone for long though, soon a man sat next to him, placing his hands on the pew in front and murmuring a small prayer.

"I need to speak with you." The stranger told him. "You are in great danger."

"Excuse me?" Antonio asked him. The man turned to face him, at which Antonio just recoiled in shock.

"Anton Mercer?" He gasped. Being a tech geek as many had been quick to call him, he was more than aware of who Anton was. Anton Mercer Industries had many branches all over the world, in many fields, including computer technology. While Anton had always been a very private and guarded person, there was always an interest in him from certain quarters, and to those as involved in technology in the way Antonio was, he was like Richard Branson and Howard Hughes rolled into one. He looked very different dressed as he was in donated clothing, with his hair unkempt and his face covered in thick stubble, but Antonio had seen more than enough pictures of him in various magazines to be able to recognise him anywhere.

"Yes, I am Anton Mercer, but you must listen to me." He told him. "I know who you and your friends are."

I don't know what..."

"I know you are the Power Rangers." Anton told him. "I have no idea how to say this, it all sounds insane, even to me and I'm the one responsible..."

"Wait, back up a bit." Antonio told him. "Just...take a breath and tell me what's wrong."

"That's just it, I can't tell you, you'd never believe me." Anton told him. "Do you have money?"

Antonio just looked a little nonplussed by the question. It was kind of like Bill Gates asking a stranger to spot him a twenty.

"I lost my wallet, but you know I'm good for it." Anton assured him. "We need to rent a car; I need to show you something in Reefside..."

"Reefside?" Antonio asked him. "Look, we're not going anywhere until..."

"Jayden and your friends are in great danger, and I am partly responsible." Anton told him. "You must come with me."

Antonio still had no idea what was going on or what Anton wanted, but he just nodded and followed him as he left the church.


	6. Anton's Explanation

Antonio wasn't much of a driver, he never had been. One of the benefits of his business was that he could catch fish, and then sell them within walking distance. It wasn't that he was necessarily a bad driver; it was more that he found other people's driving habits incredibly annoying.

Anton groaned and seemed to be rubbing his crucifix a lot more intently as they made their way onto the freeway. Antonio noticed the gesture.

"My driving isn't that bad is it?" He asked.

"It's nothing to do with your driving." Anton replied. "I had a very difficult choice to make, one I am still not certain I made correctly."

"Uh..."

"Have you heard of Mezagog?" Anton asked him. It had been a long time ago, seven years to be exact, but his father had been in Reefside during Mezagog's reign of terror. Antonio just nodded. "There's a reason that I was missing for so long before the Dino Thunder Rangers defeated him."

"I don't..." He suddenly paused. "Wait...YOU were Mezagog?" Aton just nodded.

"It was not by choice." Anton told him. "Nor is it this time."

"Hold on...you're telling me, one of the sickos that tried to decimate the world is not only sitting in this car...but that you invited him?"

"Turn here!" Anton barked. "NOW!"

Antonio did as he was told, taking a small dirt track off the freeway. It was barely visible, and he had his doubts, but eventually he found himself in the grounds of a large, cuboid building. Anton stumbled out of the car, with no care to his own welfare, and he just fell to his knees, crossing himself frantically as he continually muttered the Lord's Prayer.

"Dr. Mercer..."

"PROFESSOR Mercer!" Anton corrected him a little aggressively. "It may have only taken me two more years, but I did earn that title!"

Antonio just stalked around him cautiously as he saw Anton still muttering prayers to himself. He finally stood up, causing Antonio to stagger back a little.

"I am fine for now." Anton assured him. "Come with me."

Antonio still doubted what he was doing was anywhere in the same neighbourhood as wise, but given the fact that Anton Mercer was something of a Messiah as far as tech was concerned, he found it hard not to be curious and followed him.

They entered the building, which was in and of itself a pretty non-descript laboratory, but as he stepped in the door, the stench of rotting flesh filled Antonio's nostrils. He heard a squelching sound and felt something soft beneath his foot, and looked down, seeing some form of meat, which he hoped, but doubted was not human.

He looked around briefly, seeing blood splatters all across the walls and the ceiling.

"Madre de dios!" He muttered as he looked to Anton in disgust, his hand straying to where his morpher was in his back pocket

"If this was my doing, do you think I'd have bothered bringing you here?" Anton asked him. "With the power at his claws, Mezagog would have annihilated you."

"So why didn't you?" Antonio asked him.

"Follow me." Anton said, waving him on as he made his way down the corridor. Antonio had to bypass more carnage, but his curiosity would not allow him to ignore what was happening.

Ji made his way to the gateway, having changed into a set of black, combat style overalls. The First Attendant had already given him back his Hidden Blade when he was outside the gate. Daisuke arrived, still hobbling in an ungainly manner as he gestured forward a couple of attendants. They carried a pack, already packed for Ji.

"I know there is little we can do to aid you on your journey." Daisuke told him. "But we can give you a few supplies that will make your journey a little less tiresome."

"Any help you can give is appreciated." Ji replied, shaking his hand. "Thank you."

As he walked off, no one noticed the little red glow emanating from underneath a rock a little way from them.

Back at the lab, Anton brought Antonio into what looked to be a major lab. It was filled with machines, glassware and chemicals, but like the rest of the complex, it looked like someone had come through it with a sledgehammer. It wasn't long before Antonio saw the feet of one of the lab workers protruding from behind a desk, and smelled the same, sickly scent of decomposing flesh.

"Alright, what gives?" Antonio asked him, whipping out his morpher and stepping away. "I'm done with the Wizard of Oz shit, tell me now or..."

"You read a lot of the journals I'm published in." Anton sighed. "Look past the broken glass and equipment. What does this look like?"

"A genetics lab." Antonio replied.

"More accurately, it's a fertility clinic." Anton stated as he went to one of the corpses. "This was Fred, one of my most promising students..."

"You're bringing me here to tell me you...?"

"I had NOTHING to do with these deaths!" Anton snapped angrily, his eyes flashing yellow with his fury. He seemed to admonish himself though, muttering a prayer as he started to stroke his crucifix.

"Alright, I don't know what your deal is, but..."

"You know there was a programme designed to ensure the Noble Bloodlines would not be broken do you not?" Anton asked him. Antonio just nodded. "Unfortunately it seems someone in the Netherworld found out."

"Wait what?" Antonio grunted as he stared at him, completely confused.

"Do you really think the Shiba Clan would have trusted such a task to a mere fertility clinic?" Anton asked him. "My laboratory was chosen as the storage place for the samples. My technology is so far beyond what is accessible to the public; Ji knew the samples would be safe."

"So why am I here?" Antonio asked him, before pointing to one of the corpses. "Why is he here?"

"It seems someone in the spirit world found out." Anton told him. "About a month ago there was a huge attack. The building was surrounded, Moogers were pouring in from every point...I didn't have a choice!"

"You didn't have a choice about what?" Antonio asked him.

"I knew I needed to get the message out, but the Moogers were butchering everyone in their path! I knew I would never get out alive..."

"But Mezagog would." Antonio gasped, realising where the story was going. Anton just nodded.

"I only kept that research because of the potential benefits for mankind." Anton pleaded with him. "Lizards have the ability to regenerate. The potential was there for cellular regeneration. Brain injury would be a thing of the past. Paraplegics would walk, amputees..."

"You kept Mezagog around?" Antonio snapped at him. He was only a kid at the time, but he remembered the stories from when the Dino Rangers were active. "You risked him coming back?"

"If I didn't I wouldn't be alive to tell you this now!" Anton told him. "Your friends are all in terrible danger."

"If Mezagog is back..."

"He is under control for now." Anton interrupted him. Put your Barracuda Blade through my brain right now if you want. It will ensure he doesn't come back, but that isn't what I brought you here for."

"So why did you?" Antonio asked him.

"Because of the Trojan Horse." He replied. Antonio just sighed.

"Would you say that again?" He asked him. "Preferably in a way that doesn't sound silly."

"The power symbols surrounding the Shiba House...the ones that were put there for security...they prevent monsters from entering." He continued to explain. "That's why I couldn't enter. Because of my...condition."

"And?" Antonio asked him.

"Do I have to spell everything out for you?" Anton barked, his voice becoming a little bestial as he found his temper flaring. He grabbed his crucifix and sat down, rocking gently as Antonio came to keep an eye on him. "What do you suppose the only exception from the sealing symbols might be?"

"I guess people that were meant to come in." Antonio suggested.

"Like people that lived there?" Anton suggested. "Or people DESENDED from people that live there?"

Antonio just stepped back, finding it hard to comprehend what he was hearing.

"Wait, so you're saying..."

"There were no samples other than the ones sent to my lab! No other clinic had them!" Anton told him. "When the attack came, I knew that I would never make it out alive without Mezagog..."

"But there were no other samples?" Antonio asked him. "So..."

"Alexandra is the Trojan Horse!" Anton told him. "Some squid Nighlock..."

"Octoroo." Antonio corrected him. Anton just nodded.

"He took the samples." Anton informed him. "If he created a Nighlock with those samples, they would bypass the sealing symbols like they were members of the family."

"Alexandra's not his daughter!" Antonio roared as he got up to leave. "I need to..."

Anton clutched his chest and let out an anguished cry as he felt Mezagog rising again. He looked to Antonio pleadingly.

"I have served my purpose." Anton told him. "You know what needs to be done, please!"

"I am no executioner." Antonio stated flatly. "I will not execute anyone that hasn't done me any harm!"

"If Mezagog ever takes control, he will be a tremendous threat to the world!" Anton screamed at him. "This is my Manhattan Project. This is the one creation I've made that has the potential to destroy the world. Please, help me to put an end to it!"

"No." Antonio sighed shaking his head. "I cannot execute an innocent man. You have proven up until now that you can control him, you have to fight!"

"It is getting harder all the time!" Anton replied. "I have been fighting him almost every hour of every day!"

"Then fight harder!" Antonio replied, before sprinting off, leaping into the car and speeding off.


	7. Antonio's Accusation

**A/N:** Just to address the inevitable question, I WILL likely do my own version of the RPM crossover at some point, but I want to make sure I do the best I can for it, and so I'm going to concentrate on THIS storyline for now, and come back to the team-up later. Having loved RPM so much, I really want to do something special.

Antonio had flipped the car onto the freeway, blasting along the road at as quickly as the protesting engine could take him. Swerving in and out of the traffic, much to the annoyance of the protesting motorists, he kept his eyes on the road ahead while he tried to make sense of everything Anton had told him.

In the short time he had been a part of the Nighlock War, he had learned more than once that Octoroo was a truly despicable and sneaky customer, but this time he had truly sunk to depths that sickened Antonio. He was using the Samurai's own efforts to insure the bloodlines against them. One of the things that kept the Shiba House safe, and by extension the Rangers and the technology within were the security symbols that Ji had set up. They only allowed humans to enter the Shiba House. Anyone with supernatural energies within them would be forced out by a powerful concussive field, something that Anton had found out the hard way when he came to them to warn them.

Unfortunately, it seemed that Octoroo had found something of a loophole in the protection. While the source of the power was pure, the fact was that symbol power was a supernatural energy.Obviously it would have been foolish to set up a form of protection that prevented the Rangers and Ji from entering their own home, so a clause was put into the enchantments that allowed those from the Noble Bloodlines to enter. That was where Alexandra came in. Octoroo had used the samples he had stolen from the lab to create a new Nighlock, but the genius in the plan was that he had done so using DNA from Jayden. The protective symbols recognised her as a member of the Shiba Clan, meaning that despite the Nighlock pert of her, she would be able to enter the house.

As he made the turn off, heading into the city, he could only hope that the others would believe this fantastic tale. He had to admit that it sounded pretty insane when he said it out loud, creating a baby for no other reason than to have a Nighlock that would be able to enter the Shiba House. Of course, he had to also consider that there was also a sick, perverted brilliance to the plan. She was a baby, and more than that, she was Jayden's baby. The other Rangers were besotted with her, Jayden especially. No one would ever suspect her of being there for any subversive reason. If nothing else, she was a distraction to the Rangers, but more than that, he had no idea what kind of power she had within her. He could only hope that it would be some time before whatever Octoroo was planning would come to fruition.

Back at the Shiba House, Emily came into the main room, where Mike was playing one of his video games. Jayden was lying on the couch, sleeping. He had started to get into the habit of grabbing naps wherever he could while Alexandra was sleeping. Kevin and Mia were sitting a little way off, looking through some magazines as they rested from yet another unsuccessful attempt to find Aaron. While they had both accepted that it would be quite some time before the wedding was on the cards, but that didn't mean that Mia wasn't still taking the opportunity to use her free time to finally think about all the ideas she had gathered from her insanely large collection of bridal magazines. The way she reasoned it, she had plenty of time to work out costs, seating plans and guest lists before she even had to worry about announcing a date.

Emily stomped over to Mike, looking slightly less than happy. She had a large, stuffed dog in her hand, which was split open, hand leaking stuffing. She went up to Mike and tapped him on the shoulder, grabbing his attention. An explosion on the screen alerted him to the fact that the distraction had cost him the game.

"Emily, you just got me vaporised!" Mike whined. "That was only level three! Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to die on level three?"

"She just dumped the dog on his lap, and he just looked at it, seemingly confused.

"OK?" He asked her. "What gives?"

"Your half of the room may be a mess, but that doesn't give you the right to mess up my half!" She screamed at him. "And just look what you did to Scraps! I've had him since I was nine!"

"Emily, what are you talking about? I never touched your stuff!" Mike protested his innocence, turning to look at his irate girlfriend. "I respect you too much for that. I definitely know better than to touch your stuffed toys."

"Emily, what's going on?" Mia asked her. Emily just continued to sulk.

"I went into my room to get something." Emily told her. "It looks like a bomb hit it! My stuff is everywhere!"

"Mike, are you sure you didn't lose something and go looking for it?" Mia asked him. Unfortunately Mike was far from the most organised person in the world, and occasionally that meant that he had difficulty finding his possessions. Mike just threw his hands up in frustration.

"I'm telling you, I never touched Emily's stuff!" Mike reiterated. "And even if I did, if I damaged anything, do you really think I'd keep it from her?"

"Come on Emily." Mia whispered to her younger friend, taking Scraps from Mike. "I have a sewing kit in my room."

As they left, Mike got up and started to pace the room intently. He didn't appreciate being accused, especially when he knew he hadn't done anything wrong. There were five other people living in the Shiba House. While he had a hard time imagining any of them going through Emily's things without permission, the fact was that it wasn't him and he knew it.

"Why does everyone automatically assume it's me?" Mike complained. "I love Emily. Don't you think I'd ask if I wanted to look for something in her half of the room?"

"Emily's just upset about Scraps." Kevin assured him. "I'm sure she didn't mean to..."

"Kevin!" Mia called out. Kevin, Mike and Jayden all got up and followed her voice to the room she shared with Kevin. They stood at the door and stared in, finding the room had been completely thrashed.

The beds were messed up, drawers were hanging open, and items had been thrown around carelessly, littering the entire room.

"It looks like someone was looking for something." Mia commented. "Someone's been in here..."

"Alexandra!" Jayden called out as he turned and ran for his own room. When he got there, he found that his possessions were in almost exactly the same state as the other rooms. Both his and Antonio's possessions were all over the place. He searched around in a panic, but breathed a sigh of relief as he looked into the crib, finding Alexandra still there. He reached in, picking her up gently as she started to cry out for him, holding her gently.

"Is she...?"

"She looks like she's fine." He said, the relief evident in his voice as he held her.

"OK, someone was definitely looking for something." Kevin remarked, seeing the way the room had been turned over.

"Yeah, but what were they looking for?" Mike asked them. "I mean, who would want to rob us?"

"Someone big red and ugly?" Emily suggested sheepishly, beginning to feel a little guilty about accusing Mike before she knew the full facts.

"Nighlock can't come in here." Mia reminded them. "The security symbols would have kicked them out."

"So what does that mean?" Kevin asked.

"It means that our uninvited guest was more likely to be a perfectly mundane human burglar." Mike sighed. "And by the looks of things, one that's pretty good.

"Alright, I'll keep Alex calm." Jayden told them. "You should all look through your things; see if there's anything missing."

"Alright." Mia said dejectedly. "I'll take her once Kevin and I have finished with our room."

Meanwhile, in another part of town, Peter was sitting on a park bench, watching as Serena took Spike and Bulk through some sword kata. It hadn't been long since Spike had been injured in their training sessions, so she was taking it slowly until she was sure that he was back up to full health.

Peter had always admired the skill of the warriors at the Tengen Gate, and he found it hard not to admire Serena as she worked through her exercises. Every movement was slow, fluid, and finished with an expert poise borne from her years of perfecting every move. He hated the cliché, but it was like watching a perfectly performed ballet. She finished up by performing a quick flick of the sword, symbolically flicking 'blood' off the blade. It was something they were trained to do, dating back to when Samurai used to do battle with live blades. Leaving blood on the blade would risk the blade becoming stuck in the scabbard. Even though there wasn't really any blood on the bokken, it had since become part of the technique. She then returned it to her waist, as though placing it in a scabbard, and returned to her starting position. She then turned to Bulk and Spike.

"Alright, you guys are doing well." She complimented them. "That kata's a lot harder than the ones I've taught you up until now, so why don't you both just run through it one more time and I'll watch you from here."

They both nodded, and returned to their starting positions, before beginning again. Although their technique was a long way from being as good as her, Serena knew it was still early days for them. She was already pushing them harder, giving them harder techniques to practice between their lessons. She knew that she wasn't allowed to teach them about the Noble Families, or the Nighlock, but she was starting to get some reading material ready for them to teach them some of the history of where the techniques and practices they were learning came from.

"Wow, you really have worked wonders with them." Peter complimented her. "They're getting better."

"Well, that is kind of what I'm going for." She told him. "It won't be too much longer before I can let them loose on sparring again."

"You're starting to enjoy this aren't you?" Peter asked her, giving her a little smile. Serena took a sip of water nodding gently as she did to.

"I guess I do find it interesting teaching." She told him. "I guess I really never expected to be passing on what I know for a good few years."

"So long?" He asked her.

"Yeah, usually we only pass on our training to our kids." She said. She then paused as she realised what she had blurted out. Her eyes grew wide in panic. She had only just started...whatever they had started...with Peter a little while ago. She suddenly worried that talk of kids would scare him off. He just coughed and looked to her with a little smile.

"Right, I kind of thought that was the case." He replied. "Um...Serena, your online course..."

"The palaeontology course?" She asked him. "What about it?"

"You can do those assignments any time right?" He continued. She just shrugged.

"I suppose so." She replied. "Why?"

"Well, I was just wondering if you might like to find something more interesting to do tonight." He suggested nervously. Serena just smiled as she realised what he was getting at.

"Are you asking me on a date?" She asked him.

"Well, it just occurs to me that we really haven't had a date yet." He told her. "I...uh...I think that it is kind of traditional."

"I'd like that." Serena stated. "We can check the local theatre listings when we get back."

She looked to Bulk and Spike, smiling a little as she thought about the date to come.

"Bulk, hold it." She called out, making her way over to correct his technique. "Look, try it like this."

Back at the Shiba House, Mia and Kevin were minding Alexandra when Jayden came back into the main room. He just shook his head.

"I don't think that anything's missing." Jayden told them. "At least...nothing I've noticed."

"All my games and consoles were still there." Mike added.

"I don't have much, just a little jewellery, but all of that was still there." Mia agreed.

"There was a little cash in my drawer, and it was still there." Kevin commented. "So someone broke into the house, in broad daylight while all of us were here, and they didn't take anything?"

"That doesn't make sense." Emily whined as she clutched her still-damaged Scraps. "Why would they break in if they weren't going to take anything?"

"Because she didn't find what she was looking for." Antonio announced as he came into the house. They all looked at him, confused by what he had said.

"Antonio?" Jayden asked him. "Where have you been?"

"Reefside." Antonio told them. "Anton Mercer took me there."

"Anton Mercer?" Jayden asked him. He knew that Anton Mercer had a few dealings with Ji. "Why would he...?"

"The lab with your samples was in Reefside." Antonio informed them. "Octoroo attacked it. He killed everyone and destroyed most of the samples."

"OK, what?" Mike asked him.

"He took a few, and he made her!" Antonio stated, pointing at Alexandra. They all looked to her as Antonio started to approach. "She's not what you think she is Jayden, she's a Nighlock."

There was a short period of silence, before the others burst out laughing. Antonio clenched his fists in anger as he realised that they weren't taking him seriously.

"Alright, you had us going for a minute there." Kevin chuckled. "She's a Nighock?"

"Yeah, what's her special power? Toxic doodie?" Mike asked, causing Emily to giggle.

"Guys, I'm serious!" Antonio snapped. "Octoroo used the samples he stole to make a Nighlock that could confuse our security symbols!"

"Look Antonio, I know that it's been hard getting used to her, but don't you think this is a little far-fetched?" Mia asked him.

"Why would Anton lie to me?" Antonio asked her. "What does he have to gain?"

"Look, no offence, but Alexandra doesn't exactly look much like any Nighlock I've ever seen." Emily told him. "The most threatening she's ever been is when she bit me, and she doesn't even have teeth yet!"

"Guys, think about it. We have powerful weapons. We still haven't figured out the Black Box yet!" Antonio reminded them. "The only reason no one's come for it is because the Nighlocks can't come in here."

"So they make the diaper princess?" Mike asked him. Antonio slammed his hands down on the table as his frustration began to build up.

"She arrives, and then we get broken into. Doesn't that seem a bit odd to you?" Antonio asked him.

"Antonio, she can't even sit up by herself." Jayden sighed. "How could she search the house?"

"If she's a Nighlock, she probably has powers." Antonio stated. "Maybe..."

"Maybe you just have more of a problem with her than I thought!" Jayden put down forcefully, though quietly so as not to disturb Alexandra. "I know you didn't ask for this. I know the whole baby thing freaked you out, but you're seriously starting to sound crazy."

"Yeah, I'll admit I've not handled the baby thing well." Antonio told him. "I've tried, really I have..."

"Have you?" Jayden snapped. "You said you'd help, but so far I've yet to see any evidence of that."

"Jayden, open your eyes!" Antonio screamed at him, causing Alexandra to start crying. "In the last few months, you've gone through the most difficult thing you ever have. Part of that was accepting that your life isn't going to be the same as anyone else's. Things others take for granted..."

"That's enough Antonio!" Jayden interrupted him.

"Someone quite literally leaves the one thing you want, a normal life, sitting on the doorstep, and you don't think that's odd?" Antonio carried on. "Jayden, please..."

"I said, this conversation is over!" Jayden replied coldly. "If this is such a problem for you, then maybe you need to find somewhere else to stay."

"Jay!"

"Get your stuff and get out of the room." Jayden told him. "We still need you, so you can sleep in the dojo. But if all your going to do is upset my daughter, then..."

"Go ahead, say it." Antonio interjected, tensing up. "Say it if you can."

"She's my daughter. If you can't accept that..." His voice wavered a little and he had to swallow a lump in his throat. "Then we can't be together."

With that, Jayden stormed out of the room, taking Alexandra to calm her down. Antonio looked to the others.

"Guys, please..."

Kevin and Mia turned and walked away, leaving Emily and Mike with him, staring at him awkwardly.

"Emily, you know I wouldn't lie about something like this." Antonio begged her.

"I know you wouldn't want to." She whispered, looking away from him.

"Mike...?"

"Dude, you need to stop." Mike told him. "Maybe you made a mistake."

"And if I'm right?" Antonio asked him.

"Seriously, you need to stop." Mike told him. "If you don't..."

He just shook his head regretfully as he and Emily walked away. Antonio just sat down on the couch, grabbing his head in frustration. No one would believe him. Octoroo's deception was working.

He couldn't allow his plan to succeed, but with no one on his side, he had no option but to find a way to prove his theory himself, and hope that he hadn't just thrown away his relationship on a wild goose chase.


	8. Ji's Journey Ends?

Mentor Ji had been on a little-travelled route, riding a horse Daisuke had lent him for the journey. Although he didn't have far to go to his next destination, he knew the next leg of the journey would be much, much harder, and so he was grateful for the animal to make this leg of the journey easier.

The road started to lead upwards, into jagged, rocky mountains. The Kin vault had only been accessed once in living memory for a few reasons. The first was because it was rumoured that many treasures and artefacts from his family's history were sealed within. The second was because, as a result of these treasures, many dangers were also sealed within. Booby traps, ancient security devices, powerful enchantments, and, if rumours were to be believed, even a terrible beast had been left there to guard the keep. Finally was the most obvious. It was a jealously guarded secret. Even the Shiba Clan were not aware of its location, or even existence. It was a secret shared only between the sitting Elder Guardian, and Ji's clan.

The views were breathtaking here. The trees concealed his path much of the way, up until the mountain path started to rise up the beginning of one of the mountains. It wasn't long before he could see out, and look for miles in any direction without seeing a single man-made structure.

As he rode up onto a small plateau, he felt a sudden shift in energy. The horse lowered its head as it started to ride up onto the plateau, and Ji could hear no sound. No birds, nothing. It was kind of an eerie feeling to it. He dismounted slowly, removing his pack and placing it down on the ground as he pulled out the fragment of Urumasa, wrapped in thick, black canvas.

Dayu appeared from a gap a little way off, and hid behind a nearby rock before Ji could spot her. She knew that he would likely be taking Urumasa to the Tengen Gate, but the piece residing within her Harmonium had not fallen silent. Indeed, some time after he had arrived, it informed her he was taking it away again. She knew the Tengen Gate held many secrets, she had even seen some of them when she pursued Kenzo there in her frantic attempt to help Dekker. She knew that if he was taking it away, then he had something else in mind. If there truly was something more secure than the Tengen Gate, she was certain that once he got there, the blade would be lost forever.

However, she was curious. She couldn't fathom why he had come out all the way here. She couldn't think of anything of value in this isolated region. All she could think was that perhaps there was an even more powerful secret out here, one that she just had to find out about. After all, even once she retrieved the blade, she still had to find a way to re-forge it if it was to lead her back to her beloved Dekker. She watched in interest as he turned to face the rock face.

"I come seeking my family vault." He declared. "I possess a weapon which cannot be allowed to exist in the world of man. I come to pay my respects and seal it away."

He opened the roll, presenting it to the mountain. Dayu felt the very ground shifting as a large, black obelisk rose out of the ground. It had characters etched into it, marking a monument to the fallen. Seeing the crest of the Shiba Clan upon it, and the name marked below, she smiled. It was the name of the very first Red Samurai.

"Of course." She whispered as she continued to watch the ritual. Ji knelt down before the obelisk, presenting the blade to it. She pulled out the short-sword from her Harmonium, preparing to strike.

"I come to pay respects to my fallen Lord, and to make penance for my clan's betrayal." Ji continued, rolling up his sleeve. A small bowl rose out of the ground beneath him, and he sliced open his hand on the Hidden Blade. He squeezed some of his own blood into the bowl. "Take this offering, and know that my blood, as the blood of my Kin, remains loyal to the Shiba, and judge my worth to continue on this path."

Dayu's grip on the short-sword relaxed a little. Next step? This was not the entrance? How much further did he have to go? What was hidden in that vault? Whatever it was, she had a feeling that simply slaying Ji and taking Urumasa would offer her no insight. She watched as Ji bound his hand, and bowed down submissively before the obelisk. A short time later, the symbols started to glow, and he rock face a little to his left started to re-shape itself, forming into a steep staircase. He got up, and she pulled further into cover as he picked up his pack, and started to head up the stairs. She waited a second, allowing him to get out of sight, before starting to follow him. As soon as she set foot on the steps, she felt them starting to dissolve back into the rock face once more. She started to move more quickly, hoping that Ji was sprightly enough to stay far enough ahead of her that she would not be seen as she avoided this trap.

Back in the states, Antonio was sitting on a riverbank, having gone fishing to clear his head. He always found the quiet around the riverside a great place to think.

It hadn't been long since he had tried to tell the other Rangers what he had heard about Alexandra. He had explained almost everything he had seen and heard. Anton Mercer, the lab, and the story he had told him, about how the samples within had been taken to create a Nighlock.

He kept pleading with them, trying in vain to warn them, but for the most part, they hadn't taken him seriously. Indeed, as soon as he had said it, the entire team had laughed at him. He had pressed on, but they just wouldn't believe him.

It was his fight with Jayden that had upset him the most. He had pushed the whole story much too hard. In the end, Jayden stopped seeing it as a joke, and instead started to question whether or not Antonio just wanted to get rid of Alexandra. In the end, it had been too much for him, and he had thrown Antonio out of their room, and had told him in no uncertain terms that he was choosing Alexandra over him.

Antonio was hurt that Jayden wouldn't believe him, but sadly as he sat by the riverbank, failing to get so much as a nibble on the line, he couldn't help going over it all again, and beginning to wonder if perhaps his friends had a point. He had only met Anton that day, and he had even heard from the man's own mouth that he had re-awakened Mezagog, the creature that had terrorised Reefside years ago. He was a teenager then, but he could still remember the news reports. He knew how close Mesagog had come to his ambition of destroying humanity.

He had to admit that it had been hard to accept that Jayden had a baby; much less that she had been thrust into their lives without any warning at all. Even Jayden didn't know she had existed until she arrived at the house.

Although he hated to admit it, Jayden had adapted much more quickly to her presence than he had. He missed being able to spend time alone with him. In a way, it frustrated him that their lives had changed so drastically, and a part of him just wanted it to return to normal. If he was honest, he was beginning to think that maybe Jayden was right, and he was simply jealous, that he was desperate to believe the story, as fantastic as it was.

Thinking about it, he hadn't actually seen Alexandra doing anything out of the ordinary. Some of the smells she could make seemed pretty unnatural at first, but certainly not supernatural. If he thought about it, he could now see why the story would sound ridiculous. He had basically accused a six-month old baby of being a burglar. Thinking about it now, if he HAD inadvertently re-animated Mesagog, then it seemed a lot more likely that HE caused the destruction in his lab.

"Good job Antonio." He grumbled, checking his hook for bait, finding that a crafty fish had somehow taken the bait, without being caught. He placed more on the hook and lowered it back into the water. "You accused a baby of burglary on the say-so of a guy with a mutant dinosaur in his head."

Just then, his Samuraizer started to ring. He checked it, but furrowed his brows as he realised that he didn't recognise the number. No one should have been able to contact his Samuraizer, other than the Rangers. He answered it to satisfy his curiosity.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Antonio Garcia?" A female voice on the other end asked him.

"Who is this?" He asked her.

"My name is Hayley Ziktor." She answered.

"How did you call this number?" Antonio asked.

"Believe me; I have means at my disposal." She continued. "We have a mutual friend, Anton Mercer?"

"He's no friend." Antonio grumbled. "That mutant dino freakshow..."

"He explained everything." Hayley interrupted Antonio. "Myself and some friends are doing what we can to reverse his...condition."

"Good for him." Antonio replied. "Now, if you'll excuse me..."

"Don't hang up!" Hayley called out. "Look, Anton's done a lot of questionable things, but he's no liar." Hayley told him. "I managed to pull the security feed from his lab."

"He probably tore the place up himself!" Antonio snapped. "I remember Mesagog. He didn't exactly have much love for humanity."

"The footage clearly shows Octoroo and moogers attacking the lab." Hayley told him. "I'll send it to Mentor Ji's computer at the Shiba House. You'll be able to see for yourself. They attacked, and Anton was surrounded. He had no choice but to drink that serum."

"But what about the rest of the story?" Antonio asked. His mind was going at a million miles a minute. So far, he was getting the first half of the story confirmed by another source, one that he had heard from Serena's stories that Ji trusted. It was sounding a lot more plausible that he had been right all along, but he was keen to avoid alienating his friends any further than he already had.

"You need to find a way to convince them." Hayley continued. "Find a way to prove what Alexandra is."

"Look, I've already gone down that route." Antonio told her. "I got laughed out of the room, and I'm pretty sure I've pretty effectively torpedoed my relationship..."

"Antonio, an infiltrator is too dangerous to let loose!" Hayley told him. "One of our Rangers released a monster that almost destroyed our team under mind control because no one figured out she was under a spell! You need to find a way to prove what's happened!"

Antonio had to fight his urge not to further damage his relationship with his team. Jayden had told him where to go, Kevin and Mia had turned their backs on him, even Emily couldn't look him in the eye when he had last seen her. If he pushed this insane story any further, then it was possible he would push his way team entirely. However, he couldn't take the chance of anything threatening his team. He just needed to witness...

"I am such a dumbass!" He yelled. "Hayley, I've got an idea!"

With that, he gathered up his equipment, and started to head back to the Shiba House.

Back in Japan, Dayu stumbled up the last few steps as Ji got to the next plateau. There was about fifteen feet left to ascend on the massive mountain, but it was a sheer climb of solid rock. She made sure she couldn't be seen as Ji approached.

He stood, holding the blade of Urumasa, and shortly afterwards, a flat-topped plinth rose to about waist height in front of him. Around him, six pillars rose, each carrying a stone bowl. She could see steam, and hear bubbling. Straining to see, she saw that they were all filled with molten metal.

Ji looked around the site. It was a puzzle, a riddle designed to test the mental suitability of any clansman that attempted to enter. Anyone other than a member of his clan would not have been able to summon the stairway; this was just a further test.

He looked to the 'table', and saw that it had grooves in it, shaped into the Shiba crest, with three main components. The top, a long, groove at the bottom, and the interconnecting shapes in the centre.

He then looked to the bowls of molten metal. Each bowl had a different, bubbling metal inside, and a symbol on the plinth marking what it was.

"Gold." He whispered to himself, observing the first. He then started to pace around them. "Silver, Bronze, Iron, Copper, Lead."

He stood and considered the puzzle for a moment. The Shiba were the highest of the Noble Clans. It seemed reasonable to presume that the most noble of metals, gold, would be chosen to represent them. He had always seen the Shiba Crest depicted in gold, even on the Ranger suits to this day. He picked up the bowl marked as gold, being very careful. Metal melted at thousands of degrees, easily enough to burn straight through his flesh. He poured the bowl carefully into the first groove, making up the top section. He then did the same to the bottom, and then filled the middle section.

He stood back, placing the bowl back on its plinth. He waited for a moment, before the crest started to hiss. He was only just able to throw himself out the way as molten gold was spewed at him aggressively. As he got back to his feet, he saw the gold bowl re-fill itself magically.

He cursed himself for the failure. Of course it would be too obvious that gold would be the answer. While there was some vanity, one of the tenants of the Samurai code, at least in theory, was humility.

He considered lead...the least noble of the metals, but then he paused. He tried to consider the properties of each metal. Silver was always considered for its purity, being one of few metals that did not ore. It came out of the earth directly as silver. Lead, being soft, and poisonous, was considered the least of metals, being largely useless for anything the ancient Samurai would have wanted metal for.

His eyes rested on the iron bowl. Next to gold, Iron was the most valuable. It was used to make steel, and steel was by far the most important thing to the ancients. It forged the swords which allowed them to fight those that would do them harm. He picked up the bowl, and started to pour.

Filling all three grooves, he put the bowl back, and stepped away, ready to move. The metal started to hiss, and again it was launched at him. This time, he was just a little too slow, and some of it skimmed his shoulder, burning it painfully.

He started to raise himself up, trying to consider his failure. It was then that he saw a small inscription on the base.

"Strength comes through unity." He read aloud. He had heard many such statements in his studies of Samurai history. Indeed, it was common belief among them. A single samurai was stronger with his army. The Zords combined, becoming more powerful than their individual components. Even the Rangers' mantra, "Rangers Together, Samurai Forever" echoed this theme.

He thought that maybe it was just a decoration. It was an unsurprising enough sentiment. After all, even steel, the answer he had last considered, was an alloy composed of carbon and iron, the carbon strengthening it. Suddenly, he smiled.

"That's it!" He called out as a smile crossed his face. Strength comes through unity. It was no mere moral lesson, it was a literal instruction.

Looking back to the bowls, he realised what the puzzle meant. Gold, silver, copper, iron and lead were all elements. They were pure metals, with no other components. Bronze, however, was an alloy! It was a mixture of copper and iron.

He then inspected the table again. The three sections were separate. He considered that, before going to the first plinth and picking up a bowl, pouring it into the top groove.

"Copper." He stated, completing the task, before going to the next, and picking up the bowl of iron, pouring it into the bottom groove. "Iron."

He then picked up the bowl of bronze, and made his way over, carefully pouring it into the middle groove, completing the crest. He stood back, waiting for a moment, at which the three grooves all opened up, and the three metals mixed and started to glow. Eventually, the light subsided, and the crest was completed in solid bronze. He turned as he saw the mountain open up, revealing a cave.

"As he started to head towards it though, he heard something behind him. As she moved to follow him, some gravel shifted. Ji turned to see her standing before him. Dayu cursed her luck. He was aware of her presence far too early. She hadn't seen the secrets of the vault.

"Dayu!" He called out, the hidden blade shooting out of his sleeve as he prepared to defend himself.

"You have something I need!" She told him, drawing her short sword. "I had hoped your clan would have some secret that would help me, but merely having Urumasa will be enough."

His eyes grew wide as he heard this. He guessed she would want Urumasa, but he now realised a grave error he had made. She had followed him to his family's vault for a reason. His clan carried the symbol power over metal. She hoped that there would be some way inside for her to reforge the cursed blade.

He broke into a run in the direction of the cave. He knew he would be no match for Dayu, but it was vital that he ensured Urumasa was buried forever. Dayu was far too fast, and he felt her blade slicing up his back, sending him flying inside the cave. He turned over, seeing her standing in the doorway, holding his fragment of Urumasa.

"Now, show me your family's secrets!" She demanded. Ji picked up a rock, the largest and heaviest he could find, and heaved it towards her with all his might. Dayu stepped aside, scoffing at the attack. It was only then that she saw he wasn't aiming for her. He was aiming for the stone table outside. The rock collided with it, smashing the crest.

"No!" Dayu screamed as the door slammed shut, sealing Ji and the secrets of his clan inside. She pounded on the rock face with her fists in vain as the puzzle sank into the mountain once more. Only a member of Ji's clan could access the vault, and now the last of them was sealed inside forever.

"Your sacrifice is in vain old man!" She screamed. "I WILL find a way to reforge Urumasa, with or without your accursed bloodline!"

With that, she disappeared into a gap, leaving Ji sealed in the vault forever.


	9. The Kin Vault

Antonio got back to the Shiba House, finding Mike and Kevin, still working on the crib for Alexandra. It had now taken three days, but at least now it was starting to look somewhat like it was meant to, and it seemed they only had a little more work to do before it would be ready. Of course, given all the time and effort they had exerted on it, the fifty dollars the store would have charged to assemble it for them was starting to sound like it would have been a good idea.

Mia was humming contentedly as she wandered around the kitchen, tending to the meal she was preparing, and checking on the bottle warming up for Alexandra. He could see Jayden sitting with her, rocking her gently as he checked his Samuraizer for a call from Ji. He was still far from certain about how to proceed, and he knew he was going to have to see the footage Hayley had sent to their computer, but right now, he had to make nice. He knew his friends would never believe him in his assertion about Alexandra, but then he also doubted that they would believe he would just suddenly turn around and accept her less than a couple of hours after he had accused her of being responsible for the break in.

He started to make his way over to Jayden, at which Kevin and Mike both suddenly jerked their heads up, watching his every move. Jayden noticed their reactions and looked over his shoulder also. It was then that Antonio saw a slightly hateful look in his gaze. Jayden pulled Alexandra round a little away from Antonio, almost like he believed that Antonio wanted to hurt her. Antonio just took a deep breath.

"Jayden, can I talk to you?" He asked him. "Look, I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking."

"I think we all know what you were thinking." Jayden snorted. "You wanted me to send her away so you could have me all to yourself."

Antonio was slightly taken aback as he heard Jayden say such a thing. Before hearing that she may be a Nighlock, sure, Alexandra had made him uncomfortable, but he would never wish harm on a baby, much less ask a parent to abandon their child. He saw Kevin shifting a little closer uneasily. Antonio just shook his head.

"Look, Anton's story...I guess a part of me wanted to hear it." Antonio began. "I'll admit it. Having her here, having to share you...it did make me really uncomfortable. I guess I was jealous."

"No doodie." Mike snapped. Antonio just looked to him, furrowing his brow slightly. The Rangers had, as many families had, started to be careful about what they said around the baby, but he thought it was odd that Mike seemed so upset, and yet managed to rein in what he planned to say. Even the most cautious of parents had the occasional slip, as evidenced by anyone who had ever heard what kids said at kindergartens when they thought no adults were listening.

"I thought about it a lot, and I got to thinking." Antonio told him. "If Anton did re-awaken Mezagog, then I can't be sure who was telling me that. I read a lot about Mezagog as a kid, and he wasn't above manipulating people to get what he wanted."

"So what are you saying?" Jayden asked him.

"I guess I'm saying a guy with a mutant dinosaur in his brain can hardly be taken as a credible source of information." Antonio sighed. "And I'm sorry."

"Is that it?" Jayden asked him, holding Alexandra closely. "You think you say sorry and everything's back to normal?"

"No, I don't think that it's cool for one minute." Antonio told him. "I'll still move my stuff back to the dojo. I just...I wanted to clear the air."

He took a deep breath as he prepared for the next part.

"And there's one person I have to apologise to more than most." Antonio continued. "If that's alright with you of course."

Jayden looked to Alexandra a little uneasily, but relaxed his grip a little and turned her towards Antonio. Kevin and Mike moved over, coming behind Antonio closely as he knelt down next to her. He looked to the baby, aware of the others crowding around him. He started to whisper to her.

"I'm sorry I accused you." He told her. He then leant in and kissed her forehead softly.

"Alright, you've apologised." Jayden told him. "Now, if you don't mind, her bottle should be just about ready."

"I'll just get my stuff." Antonio told him. "I'll be out of our room before dinner."

Just as he left, Serena came into the room, followed by Emily, who was buzzing around her. Looking at the withering expression on Serena's face, she was once again teasing her about Peter.

Serena had told them that she and Peter were going into the city tonight on a date. Serena was already beginning to regret telling Emily clearly.

"Emily, we're just going to a movie!" Serena groaned.

"Aw, but it's so sweet." Emily cooed. "My Serena's growing up."

Serena stood with her hands on her hips, giving her sister a dark look when Peter came into the room. He'd borrowed a shirt from Mike for the occasion, and his face lit up as he saw Serena waiting.

"Alright Serena, the movie's starting soon." He told her. "We really should get going."

"Have fun!" Emily called after them as they started to leave. She started to make kissing sounds behind their backs as they left the house, before giggling mischievously. Mike came across and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Emily, I thought I asked you not to lay it on so thick." He sighed. "I thought you'd stopped teasing her."

"But she's my sister!" Emily protested. "Teasing her is fun! It's not like she hasn't done it to me."

"Emily, Mike's right." Mia told her, somewhat surprising Emily. Mia was almost as much of a sister to her as Serena was; usually she was on Emily's side. "You're taking it too far. You should leave it alone."

"But..."

"Think about it Emily, they only just got together." Mia interrupted her. "This is their first date. They're still figuring things out."

"Yeah, but..."

"And Serena's agreed to stay here and teach Bulk and Spike." Mia reminded her. "You know she'd never break a deal like that."

"And if memory serves, they need more than a little work." Mike chipped in. "She's going to be here for quite some time."

"I know." Emily said with a bright grin. Circumstances had indeed led to the situation where Serena was going to be staying with the Rangers for the foreseeable future. Emily had missed her dreadfully while she was away, and was overjoyed to know that Serena would be around.

"And Peter's already home from the hospital and getting stronger." Mike added, looking to Mia, understanding where Mia was going with that.

"Yeah, so?" Emily asked.

"Think about it Emily. He had a position at the Tengen Gate." Mia told her. Emily's smile slipped a little.

"But...they really like each other..."

"They don't know what they have yet." Mia said softly, placing her hands on Emily's shoulders and looking into her eyes. "It might not be for weeks yet, but the thing is...Peter might be going back."

"I..." Emily suddenly felt incredibly guilty about all the teasing. She could remember all the times Serena seemed slightly distant, and a little less than happy. Obviously she had been thinking about that eventuality more than Mia had. "I can't believe I didn't think of that."

"Just try to be a little more understanding and lay off them." Mia told her. "Do you think you can do that?"

Emily just nodded, before wordlessly heading out of the room. Mike went with her, knowing that she had to be feeling badly about what she had just heard. Mia went back to the kitchen.

"Alright guys, dinner should be ready soon." She told them, checking the temperature of Alexandra's milk. "But someone's dinner is ready now."

In Japan, Mentor Ji was sitting in the Kin Vault, trying one last time to get a signal on his communicator, but finding that once again he had failed. He flipped it away as he cursed his failure once more. He had managed to stop Dayu getting into the vault, but in return, he had ended up sealed inside. Now, she had both fragments of Urumasa, but so far no way to reforge it. Of course, he knew that there were doubtless other ways she could accomplish it. He had failed his Rangers, and he couldn't even get a message to them to tell them that it was possible one day they would have to face the cursed blade again.

He was more concerned about the fact that he was unable to help Jayden than the fact he was now sealed inside his family's vault, with no way out. It was then that he felt a strange power building. Torches lit up, showing him a passageway he hadn't seen in the dark. As he approached, more torches lit, showing him a stairway down into the depths of the vault. With no other path, he decided to follow them.

He finally found himself in a large, octagonal room, with a ceiling extending up almost thirty feet. On seven walls, symbols were carved, but on closer inspection, they were actually metal pieces, forged into shape and then hammered into the stone. One of the sides though was different, taking the form of a barred gate of sorts, with a number of powerful symbols glowing on its bars.

In the centre was what he initially believed to be an altar, but as he approached closer, and saw it more closely, he finally realised what it was. A flame erupted inside it, and in the light, he could see the unmistakable form of a forge, with an anvil in front of it, and racks of weapons on either side, some of the finest blades he had ever seen. It was appropriate that this was the form his family's altar took.

"So, a member of our clan has come into the vault?" He heard a voice behind him. He turned around, seeing a spirit standing behind him. He was wearing a long, black robe, and had an elegantly ornate katana at his side. He had thick, dark hair styled into a topknot, and a heavily scarred face. Ji recognised him from the portraits in his family history books.

"Daijiro?" He asked. It made sense that his spirit would present itself at this altar. Despite his status in one of the noble families, he was still regarded as one of the finest blacksmiths that ever lived. His innate connection to metal gave him an affinity for his craft that was unrivalled. Ji just bowed to him. "I came to place something within the vault. Unfortunately, I have failed to do so."

"No kidding." The spirit responded dismissively. "You managed to lock yourself in. Well, congratulations."

"I know my position." Ji responded. "I have failed the Shiba Clan."

"It is something of a habit of our family." Daijiro answered.

"I know the story." Ji told him flatly. "I was raised on it."

"And yet you railed against our family vow!" Daijiro snapped. "Yes, I know all about your behaviour. The benefit of being dead is that it gives me time to watch what my descendents get up to. You have been quite disturbing to watch. I am just happy that you learned to accept your place."

"And that place has led me here, where I can do nothing to help the Shiba Clan." Ji answered. Daijiro just laughed.

"You may have tempered in your old age, but you still have that flawed centre." He replied, taking one of the swords off the rack. "You know what that does to a blade."

He swung it into the anvil, at which the sword shattered, spraying pieces all around. Ji just looked to his ancestor.

"Is there another way out?" He asked.

"No. Our family's failures end here, with you." Daijiro told him. Ji then heard a roar from behind the bars.

"I heard there was a beast here." Ji told him. "But...all these centuries? What could live so long?"

"I think you know the answer to that." Daijiro stated. Ji just looked to him in horror.

"Genkei?" He asked him. He looked to the barred gate. "So that is what is sealed here!"

Many centuries before, back when he still walked among the living, Daijiro was called to the chambers of the local Shogun, the current head of the great Shiba Clan. The once beautiful land was now ravaged by war. The denizens of the Netherworld now came through from the gaps regularly, and the terror in the land was palpable. Few had the skills necessary to help. Even the Noble Clans were admittedly in a losing war with the Nighock King.

He arrived at the palace, riding straight through the gates as they entered. Such was the urgency of the summons that he did not even bother with the normal protocol of dismounting, riding up the stairs, directly to the front of the palace. Seeing the magnificent beasts also tied up outside, he could tell that they were already here.

He made his way inside, carrying a large wooden box with him. He followed the corridor he had many times, directly into the Shogun's chamber. There, he found the war council.

The first to look up was Hirohito, the Shogun, and the head of the Shiba Clan. He was a lot taller than Daijiro, and heavily set. He wore a magnificent suit of armour of a dark crimson. He had a bald head, with a styled moustache and beard. The war had already cost him his right eye.

The others were wearing armour too, all magnificent examples of Daijiro's work. They were all rendered in the colours of their respective clans, Blue, Yellow, Pink, Green and Black, all wearing their helmets, with protective masks fitted. They looked to Daijiro as he arrived.

"Are you sure?" Hirohito asked. Daijiro just nodded.

"It took all the skill and power I could muster, but I believe these are the greatest weapons I have ever created." He told them proudly, placing the box down on the table. He opened the box and turned it towards them, showing them the contents. They all just stared inside, until the Forest Samurai finally spoke.

"Uh...they're paintbrushes." He commented. "What do you want us to do with them?"

"They can harness your symbol power; channel it in ways that you would never believe possible." He started to rush out as he felt their judgemental gaze upon him. "They will give you access to powers, weapons and armour far too powerful to exist in this plain of existence."

"Are you serious?" The Pink Samurai asked him, picking up her brush. "You have spent almost a year making paint brushes?"

"Try it!" He beckoned them. "All you do is channel your symbol power through them. Draw your element..."

"I am not certain." Hirohito sighed. The Black Samurai looked to him.

"My lord, Daijiro has never let us down before." He told him. "Allow me to try it."

"My friend..."

"I want to do this." He replied. He took the paintbrush and took a deep breath as he moved to where he could get more room. "I hope you know what you're doing."

He channelled his Symbol Power into the brush, and as he started to trace his elemental symbol, he saw the energy glowing in the air. He completed the symbol Kin, the Kanji for metal, and cast it forward, at which he was transformed. He was wearing a form-fitting black bodysuit, with white gloves and boots. It had the Shiba Clan crest on the breast, and the black helmet bore the symbol for metal. He looked down to his hands in disbelief.

"That's IT?" The Green Samurai asked. "There's no armour! He'll be sliced apart!"

"You just HAVE to try this!" The Black Samurai told them. "The power feels...incredible!"

Reluctantly, they all picked up their paintbrushes and transformed. For the first time, there were Samurai Rangers.

"This power...Daijiro, I apologise for ever doubting you!" Hirohito called out as he shook his hand frantically. Just then, they heard an explosion outside.

"It looks like we try out these silk pyjamas sooner than we thought." The Yellow Samurai commented as they started to run out of the war chamber. The Black Samurai held back a little though as they left. He paused and turned back to Daijiro, pulling off his helmet. He had thick, dark hair, and a little beard dangling from his chin. He gave Daijiro a bright smile.

"Thank you for your faith in me Genkei." Daijiro stated.

"Any time." He replied, hugging him. "You've really outdone yourself with these little brother."


	10. Daijiro's Secret Task

Emily was sitting in her room, holding Scraps softly. Mia still hadn't repaired him yet, but she had promised she would. It wasn't like Emily had any shortage of stuffed toys to choose from for comfort, but Scraps was just the first one that had come to hand. Mike came into the room, seeing her sitting on her bed, and came across, sitting next to her.

"Emily, I know you feel badly." Mike said softly. "Just..."

"I can't believe how horrible I've been." She muttered. "I didn't mean to be, I really was only teasing her..."

"Emily, we know that. For what it's worth, I'm sure Serena knows that too." Mike assured her. "We know how much you love having her here; it's been obvious since the moment she arrived."

"I can't imagine how she's feeling." Emily told him. "I mean, when I was crushing on you, even when I couldn't even imagine that I had a shot with you, I knew we were both here for the long haul. I knew I'd see you every day."

"Emily..."

"When Ji benched you, when he sent you away to Blue Bay Harbour, I know it was only a couple of days, but I could hardly bear to think you might not be back."

She looked up to him regretfully.

"If he goes back to Japan, she'll probably never see him again." Emily said, her lip starting to tremble a little. Mike just pulled her in, hugging her tightly. "She was there for me when I was getting picked on, and now that she needs me, I'm just picking on her. I'm no better than all those kids at school..."

"Emily, you are a million times better than them!" Mike assured her, pulling her away from him to look into her eyes. "They aren't fit to be on the same planet as you. What they did was cruel and malicious. They wanted to bring you down because they knew you were better than them."

"But..."

"Emily, I will NEVER let you believe for one second that you have anything in common with them!" Mike told her. "You may not have thought through what you were saying to Serena or how it made her feel, but you didn't mean to make her feel badly. You love her, and you would never do anything to hurt her. Those kids wanted to hurt you, to bring you down to their level because they were miserable and spiteful."

"I still hurt her though." Emily told him.

"The difference is that you feel badly about it." Mike told her with a bright smile. "And now you know, I'm sure you'll do everything you can to make it up to her."

Emily just leaned into him, at which Mike held her softly.

"I love you Mike." She told him. He smiled as he heard this.

"I love you too." He said in response. Just then, through the door, Emily saw Antonio moving around. She knew that he was moving his stuff to the dojo, but he should have been finished by now. Instead, he seemed to be skulking about, looking like he was looking for something.

"Mike, what's Antonio doing?" Emily asked him. As Mike turned over, Antonio noticed that he could be seen and moved on. Mike just shrugged.

"Who cares?" He asked him. "Maybe he's planning on accusing Scraps next."

Back in Japan, Ji was closely inspecting the barred wall on the one side of the vault's forge chamber. Daijiro just watched him working frantically.

"This vault has held for centuries." He reminded Ji. "I have had all this time to enhance the enchantments holding it. Are you really arrogant enough to believe you can undo my work?"

"I am leaving this place. The Rangers need me." Ji told his ancestor. "If you will not help, then kindly do not occupy my thoughts."

"The Rangers do not need you." He sneered. "They have been doing just fine without our clan for centuries. Indeed, the one time we did join them, you know what happened."

Ji turned to glare at him hatefully.

"I am NOTHING like Genkei!" Ji snapped.

"You have no idea how much I have feared that you would be the one to damn the last of our bloodline." Daijiro told him. He grabbed Ji's head, sending a warm surge through him, and once more he was taken to the distant past.

Hirohito was in his private chambers, talking with his son, Chokichi. He was a tall, handsome young man, with dark hair, and as-yet flawless skin. He had much the same build as his father, and was regarded by many to be one of the finest swordsmen in the land. As the first son of Hirohito, and so the heir to his title and lands, he also had no shortage of suitors, being easily the most sought-after match for other noble families aiming to arrange their daughters into marriage.

"Ah Daijiro, you have arrived." Hirohito called out. "Chokichi, would you be so kind as to grant us some privacy?"

Chokichi bowed respectfully to his father, and then to Daijiro, both of whom returned the gesture. Daijiro looked to Hirohito, who gestured to him to sit. He did so as his lord poured them both some Saki from his private reserve.

"You sent for me my lord." Daijiro said, looking somewhat uncomfortable in his presence for once.

"Did you do as I asked?" Hirohito asked him.

"I told no-one that you summoned me." Daijiro replied. "As per your instructions, I did not even tell Genkei."

"As you know, since you created these," Hirohito continued, showing him his paintbrush Samuraizer, "the war has turned greatly in our favour."

"Indeed my lord." Daijiro answered. Since he had created them, the war had indeed swung more in favour of the Noble clans. Many Nighlock had been sent to The Dark Zone, Moogers no longer ran rampant across the land, and the armies of the Nighlock King had all but retreated into the Netherworld. They still made incursions, but they were much less frequent, and that allowed them to rebuild their empires.

The morphers allowed the nobles to harness powers that were inconceivable before, and verging on the miraculous. The Green Samurai had in a single year allowed the farmers to produce crops that had ended years of lean times. The Yellow Samurai had opened roads that had long been sealed, and the Blue Samurai had brought forth tides that filled the rivers ending any threat of drought. The ships sailing under winds provided by the Pink Samurai had allowed almost a decade of trade to be done in a few months, and now the fleets no longer needed that assistance. The lands were more than just back to normal. They were now thriving like no one could ever have believed to be possible.

"I am honoured that I could have been a part of this my lord." Daijiro told him.

"Daijiro, I had a dream last night." Hirohito told him. "A vision came to me, one of a weapon of incredible power. In my dream it ended the war with the Nighlock King forever."

Outside, Genkei was making his way to Hirohito's chambers, smiling cheerfully. He had every intention of making a proposition to Hirohito, his oldest and dearest friend. Of all the nobles in Japan, he was the only one that had not offered his daughter's hand to Chokichi. He would never use his friendship with Hirohito to influence such an important decision, and he loved his daughter so much that he wanted her to marry someone she thought well of. However, he was overjoyed when she told him that she had an eye for Chokichi. As he got closer though, he could see that the door was closed, and he could hear his brother's voice on the other side. He did not know that Daijiro had been summoned to his chambers. He knew he shouldn't, but he listened in.

"My lord, I am no expert on dreams." Daijiro responded cautiously. He dare not speak ill in front of his Shogun. "I am not certain..."

Hirohito laid some parchment on the table between them. It contained a sketch, the likes of which Daijiro had never seen. It depicted a smooth, slender box, bearing the Shiba Family Crest. Surrounding it were images of the Zords that had been in the service of the Noble Clans since the beginning of the war. Kanji writings indicated what he intended.

"This was my dream." Hirohito told him. He picked up a small, wooden tea box. He showed it to him. "It was this size, smooth, and pitch black, but its modest appearance housed inconceivable power."

"My Lord, this design...it came to you in a dream?" Daijiro asked him. "If this can be accomplished...uniting the Symbol Powers?"

"I needed to hear it from you." Hirohito told him. "Is it possible?"

"I...I don't know." Daijiro replied. "The design looks sound, and the incantations...it would be by far the most complicated thing ever attempted, but...I think it may be possible."

Hirohito pounded the table, the excitement evident on his face.

"My lord, if I may...why are you showing me?" Daijiro asked him. "Why have you not told the other nobles?"

"I did not wish them to get their hopes up." Hirohito answered honestly. "We will tell them once we have the weapon completed."

"Then my brother..."

"Daijiro, I entrust this task to you for a reason." Hirohito interrupted him flatly. "You are by far the greatest creator of weapons in the land."

"But my brother..."

"He is my oldest and most trusted friend, so I would never say this to him, but you and I both know that his skill does not match yours." Hirohito stated. "His skill with wielding a sword may have earned him the position on my army, but you will always be the superior smith."

Daijiro smiled as he heard this. Genkei had always overshadowed him. Between the fact he was the first son, and his position in the court, Genkei was the one everyone always celebrated. It felt good to have something that he was recognised for other than being Genkei's brother.

Outside though, Genkei had heard the whole conversation. He could not believe his best friend could speak about him as such. He was indeed a skilled warrior, but like most of his family, he prided himself on his skill as an artisan and smith. He had created his own weapons and creations of great renown. If the Shogun wanted help to create a weapon, why would he not come to him? He was always the one Hirohito trusted with everything. They had grown up together, they were virtually brothers!

"Take these." Hirohito said, gathering up his sketches and handing them to Daijiro. "Please, tell no one of this. Until we know if it can work, there is no sense in creating false hope."

Daijiro took the sketches, and stuffed them inside his robe, bowing to his shogun. As he got to the door, he opened it, finding Genkei on the other side. He almost jumped out of his skin.

"Genkei!" Hirohito called out. "Just the man I wanted to see!"

"My lord?" Genkei asked as Daijiro left. He hurried down the hall, his hand still on the sketches his Shogun had entrusted him with. It was the greatest honour he had ever been bestowed, little did he know then what it would begin.

Ji staggered back as he was brought back to the present.

"Your brother heard that?" Ji asked him. He had heard the stories of the great betrayal of his clan, but very little was genuinely known about the circumstances surrounding the event.

"My brother was a proud man." Daijiro told him. "It is a pride that led to his downfall."

Meanwhile, back in the Shiba House, Antonio went back to the dojo, and opened up his laptop. He had spent a long time moving his stuff into the dojo, so much that he had missed dinner, but Mia had said she would leave him some leftovers to heat up.

Booting it up, he plugged in a dongle, starting up a programme.

"Alright then, let's see this footage." He said to himself. He hacked into the computer in the main lounge, retrieving the footage Hayley had sent to the e-mail account. He was careful to eliminate all evidence of it as he transferred it to his own computer. If he was wrong, the last thing he wanted was for his friends to know that he had lied to them when he told them he wasn't suspecting Anton's story to be true.

He checked out the footage, and saw exactly what Hayley had promised him. Octoroo and several Moogers attacked the laboratory. He could see Anton sealing himself into one of the labs in panic, but looking around frantically for some way out. His gaze turned back to the door as it started to move, being smashed in from outside. The battering was causing it to fail, and by the looks of it, he could tell it would not be long before the doors were opened.

Eventually, he saw him open a safe, removing a serum from it. There was no audio, but as he saw him cross himself and kiss his crucifix he was begging God for forgiveness. He drank the potion, before falling to the floor. Antonio's eyes grew wide as he watched the transformation, which was completed just before the first Moogers burst through. They fell easily beneath Mezagog's claws, and shortly afterwards, the feed failed.

"Pretty horrific viewing isn't it?" He heard a voice say. His Skype package opened, and he saw a red-haired woman looking at him.

"Hayley Ziktor I presume." He answered. She nodded. "You are good."

"Thanks, but we're not here to discuss how good I am." Hayley told him.

"How's Anton?" Antonio asked her.

"He's safe." Hayley told him. "It'll be a while, but some friends and I have him contained. We're confident we'll be able to remove Mezagog from him for good."

"I'm glad to hear that." Antonio told her. "Well, I told them."

"And?"

"Let's just say I kind of looked like those guys who walk into police stations wearing tinfoil hats complaining aliens are stealing their brainwaves." He sighed. "I did accuse a six-month old of being a burglar, and a potential Nighlock threat."

"Antonio, we're sure Anton's right about this." Hayley stated. "You have to..."

"I'm still going to try and convince them, but I'm going to need something a bit stronger than my word to convince them." He assured her. "Since you have no problem rooting around my systems, you might want to look at the system I'm running now."

Hayley tapped a few keys, and checked out the readout she was getting.

"What...?"

"Someone broke in and searched the Rangers' rooms." He told her. "They didn't find what they were looking for, so my theory is they'll try again. With this system in place, I'll catch them, and we'll have the evidence we need."

"I like it." Hayley complimented him. "Keep me posted if there's anything I can do."

"No doubt you'll know before I do." Antonio told her. "See you round Hayley."

With that, she signed off. Antonio closed over his laptop, and got up.

"Alright, now that's dealt with, time for some leftovers." He said to himself as he got up and headed to the kitchen.


	11. Antonio's Proof

It was early evening as Serena and Peter came back from their date. Things had gone pretty well all things considered. The movie wasn't up to much, some generic spy thriller where the guy seemed to have a mystical knowledge and ability in all fields and be capable of solving all problems save for the one particular thing he needed the clichéd attractive, but brilliant expert that had to be saved numerous times in the film to accomplish. Needless to say in the end, he saved the world, and they ended up in a hotel room. It was doubly amusing for Serena and Peter considering their own adventures only a short time previously.

They had gone for some coffee and ice-cream afterwards, where they had just spent a large part of the time just holding hands and staring at each other as they talked about nothing in particular. As they arrived at the Shiba House, Peter turned Serena towards him.

"I had a really great time tonight." He told her.

"Yeah, me too." Serena replied, pulling some hair behind her ear nervously. "So...um...what do we do now?"

"Well, I know what I want to do." Peter replied, starting to pull in closer to her nervously. Serena just smiled and let him, closing her eyes as he kissed her softly.

"Wow." She murmured as they parted, before looking to him, realising what she had said. "Um...I mean...uh..."

"Goodnight?" Peter suggested.

"Yeah, that." Serena answered. "Goodnight Peter."

As he left, going to the room that had been set up for him, Serena noticed Emily coming out of the house. She just rolled her eyes.

"I'm not in the mood Emily." She told her.

"Serena wait!" Emily called out to her, grabbing her shoulder. "Can we talk please?"

Serena just faced her sister, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Alright, but if I hear any smartass remarks..."

"Serena, I'm sorry I've been such a pain." Emily told her meekly, looking to her older sister pleadingly. "I know you and peter are just starting out, and I really haven't been that supportive."

Serena could see that Emily felt genuinely guilty. She knew her sister never meant to make her feel badly, but her teasing only made things harder. She was already unsure what, if any future there was for her and Peter. His recovery would one day be complete, and then they would have to face the very real prospect of being separated whether they wanted to be or not.

"Emily, I know you didn't mean anything by it." Serena answered.

"It's just...when I thought about what had been saying..." She tailed off a little as she tried to find a way to explain. "When you came back, after the Swordfish healed you, I was really happy, but I remember how I felt."

Serena just looked to her a little confused.

"When you told me I'd be going home." Emily explained. "I always wanted you to get better, I was really happy you were healthy again, but when you said you were taking my place..."

"And you'd have been losing Mike." Serena concluded. Emily just nodded.

"You guys are just starting out like we were." Emily stated. "You still don't know what Peter's going to do once he recovers. You really don't need your annoying baby sister pestering you."

"I have been thinking about it." Serena answered in a shrug. "Peter's life is over there, mine is over here. I can't exactly ask him to stay just for me."

"I'm really sorry you're going through all this." Emily told her. "When I thought about it and realised what you were facing, and I started thinking about all the stuff I'd been saying, I realised how horrible I'd been to you. I felt like I was no better than the kids that used to pick on me."

"Emily, you are nothing like them." Serena told her sternly.

"It felt like it. It didn't feel good." She admitted. "I'm sorry Serena, from now on, no more teasing. I promise."

"That would be appreciated." Serena told her with a smile, hugging Emily warmly. "Apology accepted."

"Well, not about Peter anyway." Emily said with a slightly wicked grin as Serena released her. Serena just shook her head as Emily giggled and started to run off.

"Oh you BETTER run!" Serena replied playfully as she started to chase her around the garden.

Back in the Kin vault, Ji was sitting on the anvil, thinking about his position. So far, his efforts to come up with a solution to his problem had failed. His ancestor Daijiro was still hanging around, and had outright refused to help him out of the vault. He started to go over again all the symbols he had seen, trying to see if there were any patterns, messages that would give him some clue as to how the vault was constructed, and by extension, how he could deconstruct it.

"You're wasting your time." Daijiro told him. "I built this place to last. I built it to endure any attempts to destroy it. I sincerely doubt you can find a way to take it apart."

"It is well constructed." Ji admitted. "You will forgive me for trying though. Not only do I actually want to get back to my Rangers, you have to admit even you're not infallible in your designs. After all, the Black Box never did get completed."

"My design was flawless!" Daijiro roared, his supernatural energy causing the whole vault so shake violently. Beneath them, behind the barred wall, Genkei roared out loud once more, clearly enraged by the disturbance. "It is not my fault the Black Box was not completed!"

He cast forth a beam, striking Ji and sending him tumbling over the anvil. As he lay on the floor, he was once more taken into the distant past.

Genkei was in his forge, within the basement of his home, working on the most difficult project he ever had. His frustration built with every passing moment. He checked his plans once more, before turning his attention back to the weapon. He finally let out a cry of rage, kicking over his anvil.

He still couldn't believe that Hirohito had kept him out of the loop on his latest weapon, but that didn't enrage him as much as what he had said. He had entrusted the designs to his younger brother, saying that he was a superior smith. He was every bit as good as his brother, and it was an insult that had wounded him deeply to hear that his best friend did not have complete faith in his abilities. Even Hirohito's proposition, his offer to arrange Genkei's daughter Yuuka to his own son Chokichi, while a tremendous honour, and one he had been seeking before he heard of the weapon, felt like nothing more than a patronising gesture.

Just then, the door flew open and Daijiro was standing there, a look of rage on his face.

"How dare you!" Genkei snapped at him.

"I might ask you the same thing!" Daijiro hissed. "You've been in my forge!"

"You accuse..."

"I know every inch of my forge. I know where I leave everything to within an inch!" He continued to rant. "My papers were not as I left them!"

"And you accuse..."

"I always place security symbols on my door when I leave." Daijiro told him. "We both know only you have the ability needed to identify and bypass them."

"You are mistaken." Genkei stated, rising to his full height, tensing up his muscles. "Now, leave promptly and I will forgive this..."

Daijiro just ducked past him, and snatched up some drawings from the table. Genkei tried and failed to snatch them away, but Daijiro pulled them just out of reach.

"These look familiar." He said judgementally. "You copied them from my files!"

"Yes!" Genkei snarled, snatching the drawings. "You had no right to keep this from me!"

"Hirohito entrusted this task to me!" Daijiro reminded him. "It is not my place to question him, nor is it yours!"

"I am every bit the weapon smith you are!" Genkei said angrily as he went back to his bench. "I shall prove it when I complete..."

"Your arrogance really does know no bounds does it brother?" Daijiro asked him. "You are his closest friend, you are his most trusted sergeant, he has arranged his first son to your only daughter and still you are not happy! You cannot allow anyone but yourself any glory!"

"You just love the fact that he believes you my superior in this matter don't you?" Genkei asked. "You have always been jealous of my station."

"Believe what you will." Daijiro answered. "Go, work on your version. It is doomed to failure."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Genkei asked him angrily, getting back to his feet. Daijiro just gave him a self-satisfied smirk.

"I only got a glance at those plans, but I can already see they are flawed." Daijiro told him. "Attention to detail and patience were never your strong suits. That is why my work is superior to yours. You may have copied those designs from mine, but you did not do so accurately."

"You're lying." Genkei sneered.

"You know me better than that brother." Daijiro replied as he left the forge. Genkei knew he was right. Daijiro was no liar, especially when it came to his work. He was also right that he had an incredible eye and memory for even the tiniest detail or flaw in any plan or design. If he said the design was flawed, that he had missed something or taken it down wrong, then he was likely telling the truth. Grabbing a couple of tools from his rack, he went back to the bench and started to look over his design again. If there was a flaw, he would find it, and he would bring the completed design to his lord before his brother.

Back in the present, the Rangers were all fast asleep, and the Shiba House was quiet and still for once. With eight adults and a baby in the house, it was pretty much the only time the house was ever completely quiet.

In the dojo, Antonio was stirred from his sleep by a blue light flashing into his face, and a low buzzing. He rubbed his eyes and looked to his computer, pulling off the sheet to reveal that he was still fully clothed. He had set up his security system to set off an alarm on his computer that would only wake him and not the whole house. He wanted to be sure that he had picked up something of note, and not just Mike sneaking a midnight snack from the kitchen before he went all Defcon 1 and waking the house, once again throwing around accusations that would just get laughed off by the others, or worse, get him kicked out of the house altogether.

He pulled up a screen, showing a feed into the house. He still had a number of web cams from when he tailed Kevin in his training, but since he knew Kevin had found them, he had become a lot more careful about concealing them. He had set up motion detectors that would activate at night once everyone was in bed, and had cameras keeping watch over the house, everywhere but the bedrooms and the dojo. Not only had he refused to violate the Rangers' privacy by placing cameras in their rooms, he figured since they had already been turned over and nothing had been taken, it was unlikely they'd be searched again. Everyone knew he was sleeping in the dojo, and so he doubted anyone would be eager to try sneaking in there. He also doubted there was anywhere to hide anything of value.

Cycling through the cameras, he sighed as he saw Mike in the kitchen. Just as he thought, the motion scanners had picked up...

It was then that he noticed he was acting strangely. He was fully clothed, something he found odd, considering the fact that it was three in the morning. Why would he get changed to go to the kitchen, only to get changed back once he went to his room? He then saw that he was rifling through cupboards. Normally when Mike was looking for a snack, he went straight to the fridge or the microwave. On closer inspection, he was throwing things out of the cupboards, almost like he was looking for something.

"Mike?" He whispered. Just then, he saw the camera in Mentor Ji's study showing Kevin going through his bookcases and his desk. By now he was certain that something was off. Kevin pretty much balked at the idea of even going near the study without Ji's permission. He certainly wouldn't go through his things without reason.

Finally, he saw the Living Room, and saw a third figure. This one though was not doing much; it just went to one wall, like it knew exactly where it was going. As he stepped into the light, he could see it was Jayden.

He pushed in the hidden panel, sliding it open, revealing the safe.

"Oh, this isn't good." Antonio stated as he grabbed his morpher, running to the Living Room.

He got there, just as Jayden was punching in the code to the safe. Antonio saw him grabbing the handle.

"Jayden..."

As Jayden turned to look at him, he could see a slightly glassy, vacant look in his eyes. Antonio just grabbed him.

"Jayden, what are you doing?" He asked.

"He's doing what any good daddy does." He heard a female voice saying. He turned to see a figure stepping out of the shadows. She was taller than him, and very slender, with a pale blue carapace, covered in a red velvet robe. He had a supernaturally beautiful face, with smooth, almost childishly innocent features, and long, shimmering slivery blonde hair. She looked at him with brilliant blue eyes and smiled. "He's getting his baby girl a new toy."

Jayden opened the safe, at which an alarm sounded that woke the whole house. Peter, Serena, Emily and Mia all appeared in the room as the lights went up, seeing the bizarre scene.

"What's going on?" Mia asked. She then saw the Nighlock and furrowed her brows. "How...?"

The Nighlock fired a power blast that knocked all of them to their feet. Jayden meanwhile grabbed Antonio and threw him over the couch to the floor on the other side. He then reached into the safe, grabbing the Black Box.

"They grow up so fast." Antonio stated as he kipped up to his feet, turning to face them. "That's Alexandra!"

"What?" Emily asked. "Wait...she can grow to an adult?"

"Of course! She was the only one that wasn't in the Living Room when our bedrooms were searched!" Mia shrieked. "In that form..."

"Yes, I did it!" Alexandra admitted. "Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything, so I needed to enlist the help of dear old dad."

Jayden turned towards the Rangers, facing them as he handed Alexandra the Black Box.

"Jayden, what are you doing?" Serena called out. "Snap out of it!"

"I'm just giving my baby what she wants." Jayden said with a little smile. Kevin and Mike came into the room shortly afterwards.

"Mike, Jayden's hypnotised or something!" Emily told him. "Antonio was right, Alexandra's a Nighlock..."

"No child is perfect." Mike said as he and Kevin walked across, standing with Jayden and Alexandra.

"She has them too?" Mia asked, her heart clearly breaking as she saw them arranged before them. Alexandra just put a hand on Jayden's shoulder.

"Daddy, could you do me one more favour?" She said in a light, ethereal voice. "Destroy your friends for me."

"Anything my little girl wants." Jayden replied. With that, Kevin, Mike and Jayden all flipped out their Samuraizers, morphing into Ranger form and drawing their spin swords.

"Mike, it's me!" Emily pleaded with him. Please!"

"I don't think he's listening." Antonio told her, grabbing her shoulder. "Time to regroup I think, vamanos!"

He used his morpher to create a blinding flash of light, which disorientated Alexandra and the enslaved Rangers. By the time they recovered their vision, they were long gone.

"I'm sorry, they got away." Jayden said apologetically.

"Do you want us to find them?" Kevin asked. "We will destroy them..."

"No, will be fine for now." Alexandra replied, looking to the Black Box. "In the meantime daddy, be a dear and help me figure out how to destroy this thing."

Back in the Kin vault, Ji was still trying to figure out Daijiro's deal. He had become enraged enough to attack at the very suggestion that he had failed in creating the Black Box. He didn't consider the fact it was never finished to be his fault.

"So...if it was not your fault, then whose was it?" Ji asked him. Daijiro just looked to him.

"Excuse me?" He asked.

"Was it Hirohito's fault?" Ji asked him. "I mean, if the box itself was fine, then the only thing wrong with it was programming..."

"Hirohito never got the chance to programme it!" Daijiro cut him off. "He was betrayed before that could happen."

"Show me." Ji told him. "I have already learned much of what I have read was wrong."

"No!" Daijiro stated. "Our family's shame will stay..."

"Who am I going to tell?" Ji asked him. "If you are so certain I will never escape, then what do you have to lose?"

"Only ask if you really want to know." Daijiro answered. "Once you learn the truth, it cannot be unlearned."

"I have nothing better to do." Ji reminded him. "Go ahead."

He was taken once again into the distant past. This time, it was once more in Genkei's forge. This time though, it was in a much worse state of repair. Tools and parchment littered the room. The air was thick and warm from the furnace.

Genkei himself was in a sorry state. He was covered in sweat and grime from his efforts, and his clothing was filthy, and covered in scorches and tears. He concentrated intently on the Black Box before him.

He used his morpher to try and channel his symbol power into it, but after a few seconds, it sparked, and the energy surged back, blasting him into the wall. Genkei threw down his morpher in frustration and grabbed his hair intently as the anguish overtook him. He had barely seen any of the others outside of battle in almost a year. He rarely went into town or attended court; he had even missed his own daughter's wedding. For that year, he had spent almost every waking moment he was not in battle attempting to create the ultimate weapon, but his efforts were in vain. No matter what he tried, no matter how many times he took his designs back to square one and started again, it always ended the same way.

Tears of frustration started to run down his face as his thoughts turned once again to what Hirohito and Daijiro had said about him. His younger brother had exceeded him, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"I wouldn't say that now." A voice stated. He turned his head to see a gap beneath his furnace glowing, and a Nighlock appeared. In the flickering light of the furnace's flame, he looked like a shadow, only his glowing eyes betraying his nature. Genkei reached for his morpher. "I would not advise that until you hear what I have to say!"

"I have no interest in anything you have to say Nighlock!" He growled.

"Fine, then strike me down and know you will forever be in your brother's shadow." The Nighlock drawled casually. Genkei was about to morph, but something about those words stopped him. He was the eldest. He was the head of the clan. He was meant to be the one that was celebrated, not Daijiro. His younger brother had already created the morphers that had turned the war in their favour, if he also created the weapon that ended the war forever, then he would be the one honoured in the pages of history. Genkei would be an afterthought in the ages.

"Speak now, before I lose my patience." Genkei warned him.

"I tire of this war as you do." He told Genkei. "My Lord's thirst for conquest has led us into a war that has been disastrous for both sides. I have seen many friends and kindred sent to the Dark Zone."

"I have watched many I care about sent to the afterlife." Genkei agreed. "What of it?"

"I have no desire for war, but I also have not the power to overthrow my Lord." He continued. "I propose we make an accord."

"You want to make a deal with me?" Genkei asked him.

"Once I rule the Netherworld, I will pull all their forces back. I will rule over the Netherworld and no other realm." He promised him. "In return, I will promise you the power to forge the greatest weapon ever."

Genkei knew that Nighlock were not to be trusted, but his words spoke to a part of him that piqued his interest.

"What would you need?" Genkei asked him.

"There is an artefact in Hirohito's fortress that I need." He told the Black Samurai. "With it, I will increase my power enough that I can rival that of the King. Then, with my help, you will complete your weapon. You will destroy the Nighlock King, and I will begin the schism to take control in the Netherworld."

He looked to the Black Samurai, seeing his discomfort growing.

"As you know, many powerful security symbols protect Hirohito's fortress. No Nighlock may set foot within its walls." He continued. "I need someone with great symbol power who can enter to counteract them..."

"You want me to open the gate to my Lord's fortress?" Genkei roared. "So you may assassinate him? Do you think me a fool?"

"You may cast a symbol that will allow only me to enter." The Nighlock told him. "You have my word that Hirohito will not be harmed by my hand."

He extended a hand, which started to glow ominously.

"Once we shake, all the terms of the deal we agree are mystically bound, and cannot be violated." The Nighlock told him. "Hirohito will not be harmed by my hand."

"Only you will be allowed to enter, to take the artefact you seek and then you will leave. Your invitation will only be good for one visit." Genkei declared. "Once the Nighlock King is destroyed and you take his throne, no Nighlock will ever again set foot upon the land of the living."

"In return, once I have what I want, I will give you the power to forge the greatest weapon ever seen." The Nighock concluded. "Do we have an agreement?"

With that, Genkei grabbed his hand and shook it, sealing their pact.


	12. The Great Betrayal

Emily, Mia, Serena, Peter and Antonio ran through the night, finally arriving in one of the most prestigious areas of the city. They didn't really have many places to go, but as they ran, Serena had remembered that Spike and Bulk had moved into their clubhouse from Bulk's house. They arrived, finding themselves in an amazingly good neighbourhood.

The houses here were all detached, had two or more floors, and a good dozen or so feet of land in every direction, with long, gravel driveways leading down to gates with intercom security. The buildings themselves varied in design, but all of them were grandiose affairs, with pillars, white stone, and almost all of them had multi-car garages. As they stumbled up to the gate, Antonio just looked up the driveway in shock.

"Bulk lives here?" He asked, a little shocked to see the place. The guy looked like he dressed out of a thrift store, and his idea of "training equipment" had left a lot to be desired.

"Did you never wonder why the guy never seems to be at work?" Serena asked him. "He told me he and Spike's dad used to own a restaurant. They ran it for a couple of years before selling it to Olive Garden. They made a packet."

"It looks like it." Mia commented, looking to the house.

"He doesn't talk about money, but by the looks of things, it's more than enough for him to retire on." Serena continued as she started to scale the fence, flicking herself nimbly over to the other side. "Give me a few minutes."

As they watched her disappear into the distance, Peter couldn't help but smile. Emily saw the way he was looking at her, and couldn't help grinning. It was the same way Mike would look at her whenever she walked into the room, or whenever they spent time together.

"Antonio, I'm so sorry we didn't believe you." Mia sighed apologetically. "You were trying to save us..."

"Hey, she had a pretty good cover." Antonio conceded. "I mean, the diaper princess didn't ever seem to be the most likely burglar."

"But we doubted you." Mia continued. "We all thought you were just jealous..."

"I'd be lying if I said a part of me wasn't." He said in response. Just then, there was a buzzing sound and the gate swung open.

"It looks like I haven't forgotten everything Hayley taught me." Serena's voice stated. "Come on up guys."

With that, they all started to make their way inside.

Back at the Shiba House, out in the yard, Jayden, Mike and Kevin were all standing around the Black Box unmorphed. Jayden activated his samuraizer.

"Inferno!" He called out, pointing it at the Black Box. A jet of white-hot flame shot out, engulfing the device, and he held it on for as long as he could. His Nighlock "daughter" Alexandra watched on, gazing into the flames intently, her focus fixed on the Black Box within. He held up for several minutes, his arm starting to shake under the strain, and sweat pouring down his face at an unnatural rate, before the jet of flame finally broke, and he fell to his knees, gasping for breath. Alexandra looked to the box with rage as she realised it was undamaged. Touching it, it wasn't even warm to the touch.

"Symbol Power!" Mike called out. "Strangle Vines!"

Several vines shot out of the ground and wrapped around the Black Box and started to squeeze it. Mike exerted every ounce of strength he had, before the vines started to snap and strain under the stress. Eventually, he too fell to exhaustion.

"Symbol Power!" Kevin roared. "Water Jet!"

He focused his water jet into a tiny stream, no more than a millimetre across, but firing out under tremendous pressure, almost two hundred and fifty bar, more than enough to slice through steel. As he too fell to exhaustion, Alexandra looked to the box, starting to glow red in anger as she saw that it was completely unharmed. It didn't have so much as a scratch upon it.

"Give it to me!" She screamed at Jayden.

"Alexandra..."

"Give it to me!" She screamed again. Jayden called out his Spin Sword, at which as she ran screaming at the Black Box. She started to hammer into it, focusing every ounce of her energy into every blow. Sparks flew everywhere, but after about a dozen strikes, the blade shattered, and the backlash of energy send her tumbling to the ground, several shards of metal lodged into her flesh. A large piece was jammed into her right cheek, only an inch below her eye. The Rangers just ran to her side.

"Alexandra!" Jayden rushed out. He looked down on her in horror. "Kevin, get the first aid kit!"

Kevin ran off to fetch it, at which Jayden just held her closely. Mike was holding her hand softly.

"Alexandra..."

"You failed!" She hissed angrily. Jayden and Mike just looked to her pleadingly.

"I'm sorry, I did all I could!" Mike pleaded with her. "I used more power than I ever have! You can see how powerful it is!"

"We'll keep trying!" Jayden assured her. "Please, we're sorry."

Kevin arrived back, at which he placed the first aid kit down next to her.

"I know, it's just...this is so frustrating!" She growled. "Please, be a dear and get this out of my sight!"

"Of course." Mike said, picking up the Black Box and heading inside.

"I need to think about this. I should rest."

"Of course." Kevin said, getting up and rushing away dutifully. "I'll prepare a room."

"Is there anything I can do?" Jayden asked her. Alexandra just looked to him, pulling the fragment out of her cheek, tossing it aside as her wound started to close.

"I keep hearing wonderful things about ice cream." She told him. "Can I have some daddy?"

"Anything my little girl wants." Jayden replied as he picked her up carefully, carrying her inside.

Back at the Kin Vault, Ji lay on the floor, twitching uncomfortably as his ancestor Daijiro continued to replay his family's history in his mind.

It was a stormy night when Genkei arrived at the gated of the Shiba palace. He was allowed inside without a second thought, everyone knew how close he was to Hirohito. He may not have been there in some time, but no one questioned him as he arrived. Instead, an attendant just took his horse dutifully to the stables as he made his way inside.

He had been in the Shiba palace almost more than his own house throughout his life. He and Hirohito had been best friends growing up. He had run and played with him in these very corridors, but for the first time, he felt uneasy being here. He was here to allow a Nighlock into the grounds for the first time in generations.

Although he felt like it was a betrayal, he already had his plan in order. The Nighlock only wanted an artefact, one item. It had sworn to a binding mystical pact saying that it would take it and leave, and that Hirohito would not be harmed. He had also agreed that it was a one-time invitation, and that no other Nighlock would be admitted. He had his plan in order to ensure the Nighlock did not attempt to double-cross him.

He made his way through the corridors, finding his way to the treasury. There, he found a pair of young men, barely more than boys guarding the door. He held up a hand.

"Your Lord has asked that I retrieve something for him." He lied. The words felt like he was trying to swallow a quart of vinegar. He was no liar, he never had been. Unfortunately, this occasion called for it. "You may take your leave."

"Sir, I..."

"You know who I am do you not?" Genkei asked the guard.

"Yes, but..."

"My clan is second only to the Shiba Clan in this land." He told him. "Do you doubt my word?"

The two guards looked to each other, uncertain how to respond. They were charged with guarding the treasury, a great honour, but then this was Genkei, the Black Samurai. He was also Hirohito's closest friend, practically a brother to him. To doubt him was almost akin to doubting Hirohito himself.

"I shall alert you when I am done." Genkei assured them, handing both men some coins. "Go get some saki. I will not be long."

The guards just left, leaving him alone. Genkei entered the treasury, closing the door behind him for privacy. He looked around, trying to find something suitable, finding a wooden support. It had literally no value, so he knew he had no worries with it. Taking out his dagger, he drove it in, carving a deep gouge into it, before replacing it in his sheath. He then took out his Samuraizer, and cast some symbols in the air, a very specific symbols that satisfied every one of the conditions he had laid down.

The gap he had created started to glow, and the Nighlock appeared. Genkei shifted uncomfortably, seeing the evil creature in this place.

"The treasury?" The Nighlock asked him.

"I got what you wanted, you are inside!" Genkei blurted out. "Take what you need and go."

"Why are you in such a hurry Genkei?" He asked in a casual drawl, beginning to look around the treasures. "After all, how many times am I ever going to be here?"

"Only this once as agreed!" Genkei answered. "Now, take what you want and go!"

"Yes, I did say I needed one artefact." The Nighlock responded. He looked around for a moment, and walked slowly around, inspecting several items. Genkei felt his heart pounding in his chest as he watched him, all the time willing him to just take what he wanted and leave before anyone could see. Hirohito hardly ever came down here. It would likely be years before anyone would notice if anything was missing, presuming they did at all. The Nighlock considered a few things, before looking to him.

"Ah, this is what I'm looking for." He replied. He reached over Genkei's shoulder, at which the Black Samurai turned to follow his arm. He reached for a plinth, on which there was an old, china tea set. It was a beautiful piece, but nothing special. The Nighlock just picked up one tiny cup in its clawed hand, and smiled. "Yes, this will do nicely."

"That's it?" Genkei asked incredulously. "THAT'S what you came for?"

"Ah, of course, I did refer to what I wanted as an 'artefact' did I not?" He asked. "This tea set is quite old. It is considered an antique."

"It's worthless!" Genkei snapped. Just then, he heard the door being ripped open behind him, and he saw Hirohito entering the room. He already had his katana drawn, and a few guards filed in after him. He looked to Genkei and the Nighlock in confusion.

"Genkei?" He asked in confusion.

"My Lord!" He screamed. "What are you doing here?"

"I received a carrier pigeon telling me there was a traitor!" He snapped back. "I would never have believed it was you!"

"You did this!" Genkei screamed, turning to the Nighlock. It just laughed.

"Yes, I sent the carrier pigeon." It informed him. "I am taking my artefact, and to seal our bargain."

Genkei screamed in agony as he felt every muscle in his body burning, and every bone starting to re-form. He could hardly focus as an agony he could never have imagined coursed through him, re-shaping his body. Falling to his knees, he could see his hands beginning to re-shape and form into a black, shiny metal.

"But...you promised..."

"I promised you the power for forge the greatest weapon ever created." The Nighlock reminded him. "I did not say it would be your precious Black Box."

It picked up a mirror, showing Genkei his face, which was starting to shift into sharp, angular pieces of the same dark metal.

"Say hello to your greatest creation." The Nighlock told him. "And as promised, Hirohito will not fall by my hand!"

With that, the Nighlock disappeared, the gap sealing behind him, sealing their mystic bargain. Hirohito just stared at his friend in awe as his armour burst open and his sword and morpher fell to the floor. He grew to almost twelve feet in height, and his arms and legs looked as thick and powerful as battering rams. His entire body was formed of an inter-locking network of pitch-black metal. His hands formed into massive hands, each ended with a claw the length of a tanto, and razor sharp. He turned towards the Red Samurai, looking at him with blood-red eyes, glowing as brightly as a furnace.

"My friend, what have you done?" Hirohito gasped. "I can help you, I can..."

The beast though, was now devoid of any form of higher reason. It was a beast, allowed loose within a castle, exactly as the Nighlock had wanted. It let out a massive roar, exposing a massive maw, full of metal teeth the length of daggers and razor sharp. It surged forward, slicing down the two guards dismissively with its claws, and ramming Hirohito into the wall in the corridor outside. The Red Samurai dropped his sword and his morpher with the force of the blow. He looked up, just as the beast raised a hand, bringing it down in a fateful arc.

Before he could take stock of things, the power of the security symbols recognised him as a Nighlock, and removed him forcefully from the castle, smashing him through several walls, and casting him into the forest several miles away. He started to rise, and looked back to the fortress just as several warning flares were sent up.

Genkei looked down to the blood-stained blades that had taken Hirohito's life. His last human thought was to realise that he had slain his best friend. He let out an anguished roar as the last of his human thoughts left him, a cry that shook the very earth for miles around.


	13. Family Shame

Daijiro arrived in the corridor outside the treasury, finding Hirohito's still-warm corpse lying in a mangled heap on the floor. Several guards, his son Chokichi and his wife Yuuka were all standing over him.

"What happened here?" Daijiro demanded. "Is it true? Did a Nighlock truly desecrate these halls?"

"No normal Nighlock." Yuuka sniffed as Chokichi pulled her into him. She was completely devastated by the incident. "My father has made a bargain with the Nichlock. He has become a Nighlock himself."

Daijiro staggered back as he heard that from her. His own brother had made a deal with the Nighlock? He had turned his back on the Samurai and betrayed them? He had been involved in his share of disputes with his brother, but he could hardly bring himself to believe that he had done this. He had killed Hirohito, not only his Shogun, but also a friend that was closer to him than his own brother.

"This will not stand!" Chokichi said coldly as he comforted his wife. He reached to his father's hand for his morpher, but Daijiro caught his wrist, stopping him.

"My Lord." Daijiro whispered, addressing him by his new title. With his father's death, Chokichi had now inherited his father's lands, possessions, forces and title. He looked regretfully to the young man. "Please..."

"I cannot allow this..."

"I understand my Lord, but you are far too valuable to risk yourself this way." Daijiro told him. He saw his brother's morpher on the floor, and picked it up. He looked to Yuuka regretfully, seeing the horror in her face. He could understand her devastation, the beast was her father. He just sighed as he reached out, touching her face. "Please, allow me."

"Very well." Chokichi told him. "Do what must be done."

With that, Daijiro ran from the palace, heading for the mountains in search of the beast that had once been his brother.

The images shifted, and Ji found himself now atop the very mountain he was now in the tunnels beneath. The Black Ranger, wielding a naginata, was now locked in deadly combat with the beast Genkei. He was staggered under the beast's unrelenting assault, and sent crashing into the side of the mountain.

Daijiro shook his head to clear his vision as the rain lashed down harder. His brother had always been the superior warrior, that was why he had been chosen to serve in Hirohito's personal guard. As the beast rushed forward, he tried to block, but the swing from its massive clawed hand smashed aside his guard as it raked across him. His helmet shattered, doubtless saving his life, but Daijiro could feel his flesh being torn, forming his now distinctive scarring. His blood flowed down his face, dripping onto the waterlogged ground as he brought his weapon back across, sending the beast to the ground.

He did not hesitate once he had it on its back. He knew he might not get another chance, and he leapt onto it, driving the point of his naginata down again and again with frenzied determination, screaming over the lightning. He barely managed to scratch the beast's armoured hide, but eventually the point penetrated, and the beast screamed out in agony.

He brought the blade up to full height once more, before seeing it looking into his eyes, and he felt his heart falling. As much as he loathed the beast, despite the fact it had murdered his Shogun, it was still his brother. He could not drive the blade home. Tears streaming down his face, he threw his naginata aside.

"I cannot slay you." He murmured. "But I can ensure you never harm anyone again." He stated, pulling out his Samuraizer. Tracing a symbol in the air, he spun it into the ground, at which several seams of metal buried under the mountain burst through the rock, and dragged the beast below, screaming as it did so.

The image shifted again, and Daijiro was kneeling in the throne room of the Shiba palace. Chokichi was sitting in his father's throne, having assumed his mantle. His wife's throne, however, remained empty. She was in her chambers, inconsolable over what had happened. Daijiro looked to the floor in shame.

"That is what happened my Lord." He told him. "Genkei will never again walk the land."

"I thank you for your service Daijiro." He replied, with no hint of satisfaction in his voice. Although his father's murderer had been brought to justice, he knew that his wife, and Daijiro would possibly never recover from what had come to pass. "You have always been a good friend."

"And I always shall be my Lord." Daijiro told him, before laying down his Samuraizer. "Though I will not be your Black Samurai."

"Daijiro?" He asked.

"The shame of my family's betrayal is one from which my family may never recover." He told him. "I swear upon my sword now that my clan will continue to serve the Shiba Clan in any way we can."

He took off his sword, laying it down also.

"However, we will never again bear arms in battle." He stated with authority. "My family's disgrace will never be repeated."

"Are you sure?" Chokichi asked him. "I cannot have too many loyal..."

"I remain as loyal as always." Daijiro interrupted him. "But please do not ask me to take up arms again."

"Then I will honour your decision how I can." Chokichi told him. "Genkei's betrayal will be stricken from all records. His name will not be written or spoken again. Only the Elder Guardian and your clan shall know the truth."

The image faded, and Ji was brought back to the present. He rubbed his eyes and tried to get his bearings.

"So, now you know the truth." Daijiro told him. "Now you know why our family's honour..."

"Now I know the truth." Ji interrupted him. "You are a COWARD!"

"What?" Daijiro roared, shaking the mountain with his rage once more.

"The legends said Genkei was sealed here to guard a great treasure, but that was a lie wasn't it?" Ji snapped accusingly. "There is no treasure here; you merely wanted to bury your shame! He isn't here to guard anything, this is no vault, this is a PRISON!"

"You do not know..."

"I know enough." Ji growled. "Genkei's actions may have brought our clan shame, but the true dishonour is in your actions!"

"How dare...?"

"You handed back your morpher and hid in your forge for the remainder of your life, too scared to come out and face your responsibility!" Ji screamed at him. "Your decree has followed my clan for generations because..."

"I could not kill my own brother!"

"But you COULD have done something to redeem our honour!" Ji interrupted him. "You could have spent your life fighting in service to the Shiba Clan. You could have bought back our family name one day at a time, but instead you chose to give up and hide. Genkei's actions may have been shameful, but he is not the source of my true shame, you are!"

Daijiro was staggered by Ji's words. He started to look around, as though looking for some words.

"I wish to escape here so that I may serve the Shiba Clan, and you are the one keeping me here." He said judgementally. "So stay in your self-made hell if you must. I for one have the courage to act."

Ji went to the weapons rack, picking up a naginata, and headed for the passageway. He stopped by the barred wall, gazing beyond it, finding a staircase leading into darkness, deeper into the mountain. He heard a low growl, and guessed that the beast was below.

He brought his weapon back, and drove it into the stone beside the bars, and started to carve a symbol into it. Channelling his symbol power through the naginata, the symbol started to glow.

"No, you do not know what you're doing!" Daijiro screamed. Ji ignored him though. Completing the symbol for rust, the metal suddenly aged and rusted into dust in seconds, leaving the stairway open. Ji just looked back to his ancestor. "No, you cannot...!"

"If a tool has no purpose, there is no purpose for its existence." Ji told him. "If this place is a prison for Genkei, then it is clear what I must do."

With that, he marched down the stairway, leaving Daijiro behind. Torches along the stairway burst into life as he marched downward, preparing to face the greatest secret of his family.

Back in the states, within the Shiba House, Alexandra was lying on a couch, wolfing down her fourth bowl of ice cream. Jayden came in, carrying a blanket for her, placing it over her as he knelt down next to her.

"This stuff is just to die for!" She mumbled through a mouthful. "The Black Box?"

"I'm sorry; we still have not recovered all our energy yet." He told her regretfully. His little girl wanted this one thing, for him to destroy the Black Box, and yet so far, he could not give it to her. "We will try again; we'll destroy it like you asked..."

"That is alright." She told him with a little smile, reaching up and touching his face. "Daddy knows best."

"What about the others?" Kevin asked. "They want to hurt you!"

"If they come back, we destroy them." Mike answered coldly. "If they want to hurt our little girl, they deserve what's coming to them."

Meanwhile, in Bulk's house a few miles away, Antonio, Emily and Peter were sitting around, decompressing about the events that were unfolding. Not only had Antonio's story about Alexandra's true nature proven to be true, somehow three of their friends were under her power. Emily was hugging a cushion, rocking gently as she struggled not to cry, thinking about seeing the man she loved standing before her, ready to destroy her not even an hour previously. She didn't know how Mia coped seeing Kevin stand against her under the influence of a Nighlock for the second time.

"We found stuff." Mia announced, bringing in a selection of chips and dips, laying them down on the table before them. "This place is amazing; I don't know why they insist on living in that storage unit."

"They think that the Samurai lived like that." Serena answered, coming in with some bottles of soda. "I didn't have the heart to tell them that most of the Samurai were nobles and lived in palaces."

"At least it means we have somewhere to stay while we figure out what we do next." Peter chipped in as Serena sat with him. He put his arm around her, stroking her back gently. "How did they turn the others against us like that?"

"Well, I guess a daddy's love really is a powerful thing." Antonio sighed. "I mean, she does have Jayden's DNA, she is kind of his daughter."

"Yeah, someone went playing Frankenstein with our DNA, all to protect the bloodlines, and now we're all fighting each other." Mia complained. "I get why they did it..."

"Yeah, I have to admit it makes my skin crawl too." Emily said with a little shudder. "Someone took those samples without even telling us and kept them on file? Well, not mine, but still..."

"Wait, what?" Antonio asked her.

"Jayden said the samples were taken during our physicals." She reminded him. "I never had a physical."

"Why?" He asked her.

"The decision to send me was pretty last minute." She told them, pointing to Serena. "I only got sent once they decided Serena was too sick; there was no time for me to have a physical. No one expected me to come here; they won't have had time to take samples..."

"STUPIDO!" Antonio called out, smacking his palm into his forehead, causing them all to look around. "Serena, Mia, lift up your shirts!"

"Wait, what?" Mia asked. Serena too looked a little puzzled by his request. He leant over, grabbing Serena's shirt and lifting it, looking to her abdomen.

"Antonio!" Serena shrieked, smacking his hands away. "This is no time to decide your straight...and a perv!"

"You don't have a scar!" He told her.

"So?" She asked.

"Taking samples from a guy is pretty simple. It just...well...I'm sure you know the procedure." He tried to explain. "The point is, a guy can give a sample relatively easily."

"Yeah, we get that." Emily stated, trying not to think about what he was describing. "So what does that have to do with us?"

"Taking samples from a girl is a lot more invasive." He told them. "It requires surgery to remove...well...you know..."

"Wait, you're saying..."

"There's no way they could take samples from you and Serena without you knowing about it!" He announced. "They didn't take samples from you, but they did from Mike, Kevin and Jayden! We already know that she had Jayden's DNA. What if she also has Mike and Kevin's?"

"So, you think..."

"The reason she can control them is because, in a way, they're all her dads!" Antonio concluded, interrupting Serena. "But she doesn't have any of your genetic code! That's why she can't control you!"

"What about you?" Peter asked him.

"No one knew I was coming." Antonio reminded him. "There's never been a Gold Ranger before now."

"Alright, so we know how she controls them." Serena replied. "So what do we do about it?"

"Well, that's the part I hadn't figured out yet." Antonio admitted. "All I know is, when we go to destroy her, we can count on them to fight us with everything they have."

"Yeah." Emily said sadly. "No one messes with daddy's little girl."

Back in Japan, Ji reached the bottom of the staircase. Stepping out, torches started to ignite, illuminating the room. It was another huge, octagonal room, this one littered with weapons and armour in huge mounds, all around. He felt his heart pounding as he made his way further inside.

He made his way around a mound of armour, heading to the centre of the room, at which a massive brazier burst into life. There, just on the opposite side, he could see the beast, held down by thick, heavy metal bands.

Its body comprised of numerous inter-locking plates of dark metal, giving it a sharp, angular appearance. It turned its massive head towards him, and its eyes started to glow red, its gaze burning into him.

He started to approach, but as he did so, the bands securing it to the floor fell away and Genkei rose to full height, towering over him at somewhere close to twelve feet. Throwing his arms wide, the beast roared, shaking the very mountain. It swung a hand with amazing speed for a creature so large, and sent him flying, over one mound of armour, smashing into another on the other side. He looked down, seeing that his jacket and t-shirt were ruined, shredded by its claws, and blood started to flow from a wound in his chest.

"I guess I never expected this to be easy." He murmured. He looked up in time to see the beast launching itself into the air, its claws bared and ready to drive home. "Oh shit!"

He rolled aside, just as its claws buried themselves in the floor right where he had been. Snatching up his naginata, he started to back away; preparing to face what he was sure would be the fight of his life.


	14. Ji's Battle

Emily was in the kitchen, cleaning up the dishes from their meal as the others checked out Bulk's house for some rooms to sleep in. She generally hated doing dishes, but given the fact they had just broken in and helped themselves to his food and his home, she figured that the least they could do was leave it as much as possible the way they found it.

Peter came into the room, just as she was starting to put the dry dishes away in the cupboards.

"I found some rooms upstairs." He told her. "It turns out this place has a load of guest rooms. His business must have been pretty successful."

"It is nice." Emily conceded. She wasn't really too bothered about where she slept, and to be honest, she didn't really care if she slept. Right now, her thoughts were on Mike, and the fact that at present, he was under Alexandra's control. It was the only time she could ever remember seeing him standing against her. Sure, she had trained against him before, they would spar all the time, but she couldn't help being haunted by the look in his eyes. It was the only time that he looked at her in a way that scared her. She could tell that he had every intention of hurting her, of destroying her because of the sway Alexandra held over her.

"This has to be rough on you." He sighed sympathetically. "All three of you. Your friends..."

"Yeah, it always sucks when you have to fight a friend." She murmured. "Kevin's been hypnotised before. Jayden had to take him down pretty hard."

"This time's different though." Peter responded. "This time it's more than just a friend you have to face."

"How could this happen?" She asked him, looking to him pleadingly. "Mike loves me, he'd never hurt me. Back when Kevin was hypnotised, it was seeing Mia that made him stop. Why isn't it working for Mike?"

"I don't know what to tell you." Peter answered. "It's obvious this mind control is different somehow. If it was, you could just have used the resist symbol, but Mia said it doesn't feel the same as last time."

"We've lost half the Rangers, Mentor's on the other side of the world, and we don't have a clue how to go forward!" Emily whined, throwing herself into a hug. Peter felt a little uncomfortable at first. He liked Emily, and he had tried to get on her good side. Being Serena's sister, he knew she was important to her. He finally responded in kind, holding her softly. "I can't believe this is Alexandra. She used to be so cute and sweet, but now she's a big smelly, no-good monster that's stolen our friends."

"Wait, what did you say?" Peter asked her, parting from her a little way. Emily just looked confused.

"She stole our friends..."

"No, before that." Peter clarified as he started to think.

"What?" Emily asked. "She used to be sweet?"

"No, not that, the other part." He stated.

"She's a smelly..."

"Of course!" Peter screamed, slapping his forehead. He looked to Emily, grabbing her and kissing her forehead excitedly. He ran upstairs. "Guys, guys get up!"

"I really wish I understood these ideas I keep having as much as everyone else does." Emily muttered to herself. "What did I say?"

Over in Japan, Ji's battle with Genkei was not going well. He had managed to land a couple of swipes with his naginata, but any time he did, it simply rebounded off the beast's armoured hide. The metal that comprised most of his body was simply far too strong.

He was thrown, yet again through the air, and landed awkwardly on the floor. He looked up, seeing Daijiro standing over him.

"You can't win!" Daijiro stated, crouching down with him. "My brother is far too powerful!"

"Well, given that my other option is waiting until I starve to death, I think I'm going to take my chances." Ji told him bad-temperedly.

"You don't understand..."

"I do understand! He was your brother!" Ji told him flatly. "He may be a Nighlock now, but at one time he was your brother. I understand why you were unable to destroy him. I understand why you sealed him down here. However, you were wrong to refuse to fight."

"I could not..."

"By refusing to serve, you condemned our clan to live forever in shame." Ji told him. "By refusing to fight, you eliminated any chance of us regaining our honour."

Daijiro sighed and nodded his head.

"You are right, I can see that now." Daijiro sighed. "The true shame was not in my brother's betrayal, but in my refusal to do anything to make it right."

"Now, if you don't mind, I have a monster to slay." Ji told him. "Just as soon as I figure out how."

"I think perhaps I can help with that." Daijiro told him. He clasped his hands in front of his body, and they started to glow. As he opened them, Ji saw the paintbrush morpher in his hands. He looked to him in awe.

"But...that's in my safe at home!" He gasped. "How...?"

"I created them, they are intrinsically tied to my symbol power." Daijiro said with a smile. "I just called my creation back to me."

He handed it to Ji, who just gripped it tightly. He got up, and made his way around a mound of armour, coming to the centre of the room. The creature was waiting by the brazier. Looking to him, it turned slowly, starting to come towards him. Ji gripped it tightly, and held the morpher in front of him.

"Go, go Samurai!" He called out, beginning to trace his elemental symbol in the air. Setting it spinning, he started to rush towards the creature, bellowing a battle cry as he went.

Back in the states, Antonio, Emily, Mia and Serena were sitting in the living room, while Peter started pacing the room, trying to gather his thoughts.

"Alright, so why aren't we sleeping?" Mia yawned as she looked to him. "We do have a pretty hard fight tomorrow."

"Yeah, I know, but I was hoping that maybe I could help with that." He told them. "I think I may have figured out how she's been controlling the others. Well...Emily kind of did actually."

"Yeah, about that, how did I figure that out again?" Emily asked him. "You didn't really explain that part."

"When we confronted her before, I remembered kind of a strange smell." He told them. "I couldn't think what it was at the time, but when Emily referred to it, I suddenly got to thinking."

He looked to the others and smiled.

"Pheromones." He explained. Serena was the first to realise what he was suggesting.

"Some species have been known to release pheromones so their parents can identify their young." Serena stated. "The parent smells the pheromones, and they feel a connection to the young."

"And since we know that she has DNA from Mike, Jayden and Kevin..."

"She's tailored her pheromones to control them!" Mia concluded. "Alright, so what do we do about it?"

"That...I hadn't quite gotten to that part yet." He admitted. "Sorry, I guess I need a little more time to work on that."

"Alright, well until you do, we need to get ready." Mia stated.

"Well, in my experience destroying the monster seems to work well." Antonio sighed. "But I think we may need to accept, if things don't work out, then we may have no choice but to face them."

"Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that." Serena replied. "You guys go and rest up. Peter and I will put our heads together and see what we can come up with."

With that, they all got up and started to make their way to bed. Emily though held back a little bit, looking to her sister as Peter went to another room to work on something to help them.

"I can see why you like him." Emily told her. "He's definitely the coolest boyfriend you've had."

"Thanks Emily." Serena answered, hugging her. "Now, go to bed. You've got a long day ahead of you tomorrow."

Back in Japan, the sound of steel clashing against steel reverberated throughout the entire mountain. Ji pressed on with the attack, continuing his battle against his ancestor.

As he smashed the creature with a Spin Sword, he came into view of the Brazier, standing before the creature in the full light, at which it recoiled in recognition. He was wearing a skin-tight black Ranger suit; the one Genkei had worn in battle himself centuries before. The helmet had the Kanji Kin, the symbol for metal as a visor. Ji reached to his belt, pulling out a black power disk, and throwing it up, spinning it in the air, catching it on the hilt of his sword.

Spinning the disk, his sword changed shape into a naginata, and he channelled his energy through it, far more than was normally possible. The blade started to glow as he leapt into the air, spinning around, and bringing the blade across his foe, causing the beast to scream out in agony as the plates in its chest shattered. Ji stood over the creature as it looked to him, the glow in its eyes starting to dim, and he could almost feel sadness coming from it.

"I want release, and so do you." Ji called out, raising the weapon up, before driving it downward through the creature's heart. With one more mournful cry, it fell silent, and still. The creature's body started to discolour, and corrode, oxidising and aging in seconds, until all that was left was a fine red dust, which was carried on a draft. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned around, seeing the spirit of Daijiro standing behind him. Beside him though, was another spirit, the human form of Genkei, the original Black Samurai.

"You have released me from my torment." Genkei said with a little smile. "For that I thank you."

"You did what I could not, and in doing so you corrected a great wrong." Daijiro added. "You are a wiser man than I. Not only have you done our family a great service, you have released my brother into the next life. Now, he may find the peace that I could not grant him."

"I am pleased I could be of service." Ji told him, de-morphing. "Now, if there is a way out..."

"I am afraid that I did not design this place to be escaped." Daijiro answered as he held up a hand. "However, since there is no beast, I see no need for this place to exist any longer."

"When a tool has no purpose, there is no need for it to exist." Genkei replied, also holding up a hand. Both spirits started to glow brightly, following which the entire mountain started to shake. The piles of weapons and armour started to collapse, and Ji just dove aside as some rocks started to fall from the ceiling. It was then that he remembered the size of the vault. The mountain was hollow, with the vault being disassembled by its creator; the mountain was collapsing under its own weight. Unfortunately, he was still inside.

He saw a passageway opening up, and started to sprint as quickly as his legs would carry him. His injuries plagued him, and exhaustion caused every muscle to scream at him to simply collapse, to lie down and accept his fate, but his will was stronger than it all. He dodged falling debris, until he found a pool a little way down. Seeing light shining through it, he presumed there had to be some kind of passage ahead, and dived in.

He swam as quickly as he could. Getting under the water, he realised that the light was being reflected on all sides by metal seams in the rock. He had no idea how long this passageway could be, it was possible it was miles to the surface, but he couldn't afford to go back.

His lungs started to burn as the air inside started to turn toxic. The passage was getting narrower, but encouragingly, it was also ascending. He started to exhale, relieving some of the pressure as he ascended. He finally managed to break the surface, gasping for air as he did so. He grabbed the edge and pulled himself out, turning in time to see the mountain collapsing behind him. He ran for some distance, before finding shelter behind a rock, covering up as a cloud of dust swept over him. He waited until it settled, before getting back to his feet. Looking to the morpher still in his hand, he smiled. His journey had taken a decidedly unexpected twist, but he had always been raised to believe that destiny had a purpose.

He made his way to the edge of the woods, finding himself at a little village. The locals were all standing, looking in awe at him as he appeared. Watching a mountain collapsing had to count as a pretty amazing sight. They started to point at him and chatter in their native Japanese. Looking down, Ji had to admit that he could understand why. His clothing was torn, and barely hanging on his body. He was covered in numerous injuries, and a thick layer of dust.

He put his morpher away and started to walk towards the villagers, who just continued to stare at him. He hailed them, making his way into the village.

"_Sir, are you alright?_" One of them asked. "_Were you near the mountain?_"

"_You could say that. It's been kind of a rough day._" Ji told him. "_If it isn't too much to ask, is there somewhere I can get cleaned up?_"

"_Take him to the clinic!_" The man called out. A couple of villagers ran to his side to assist him, but Ji waved them off, walking under his own power. He was not too proud to accept help, but despite his injuries, he felt stronger than he had in years.

Back in the states, Emily, Mia and Emily were just finishing their breakfast when Peter and Serena came into the room. He was carrying a back pack, which he set down on the table.

"So..."

"It's the best I could come up with." He interrupted the Gold Ranger. "I've got no idea if it'll work, but it's all I could think of that I could make with what we have to hand."

"It'll work." Emily told them sadly. "It has to."

"Right, then there's not much else to say." Mia told them, standing up. "Alright guys, just remember. They may be our friends, but as far as they're concerned, we're trying to kill their daughter. They're going to come at us with everything they have."

"Come on." Antonio replied as he got up from the table. "Let's go put Alexandra in time out."


	15. Taking Care of Baby

Mia, Emily, Antonio, Serena and Peter were making their way over to the Shiba House to confront Alexandra and their friends for what they hoped would be the last time. Emily was a few paces behind the others, looking completely morose as she kicked a few stones on her path.

Mia noticed that she had fallen behind, and decided to fall back a little bit, joining her at the back of the pack. She put an arm around her, causing her to look up a little, like she was now only just aware someone else was there.

"How are you holding up?" Mia asked her. Emily just shrugged, but didn't answer her. She was far too caught up in her own thoughts about how soon; she would have to face some of her closest friends, including the man she loved.

"I know this is hard." Mia told her. "She's doing the same to all of us. None of us want to hurt our friends. Do you really think I want to fight Kevin? Usually it takes a few years of marriage before things descend into endless fights."

Emily didn't even manage a part-smile as she heard Mia saying this. She was still too wrapped up in her worry over the upcoming battle. She knew that Peter said he had come up with an idea that could help, but he had also said he didn't know if it would work or not. If his idea didn't work, then she knew that the others would fight them with everything they had to protect Alexandra. She couldn't bring herself to imagine how that would go, either they would be destroyed by their friends, or...the other eventuality was far too horrible to even think about.

"Antonio!" Mia called out, gesturing him back. The Gold Ranger turned and came back towards them, signalling for Serena and Peter to do the same. She called them all into a huddle. "Alright, I a thought just occurred to me. We don't want to hurt our friends, but Alexandra's been with us for a while, so she knows about our relationships. If I was her, and I have a feeling she is this sick..."

"You'd make sure to send our partners after us." Antonio concluded. "That would be a good move; it'd make the fights as hard as possible."

Emily looked to Mia, who just gave her a little wink. She guessed that Mia had figured that was probably the worst eventuality that Emily could think of, having to stand up against Mike. She appreciated that Mia had made it sound like it was her idea, and take the attention away from Emily and how obviously petrified she was.

"Alright, so maybe we should try and force them to mix it up." Antonio suggested. "If I take Kevin, at least you won't have to pound on your fiancé. Well, not until after the wedding anyway."

"If I take Mike, then Emily won't have to fight him." Mia told him. "That means..."

"That means I just have to go up against Jayden." Emily reminded them with a little sigh. "No big deal, he is just the guy that killed the Cursed Warrior, probably the best swordsman in the world..."

"Alright, we get the idea." Antonio replied. "Mia, if you take Jayden and I take Mike..."

"Then I have to go up against Kevin, the guy that's only about half a step behind Jayden." Emily told them. "You both know what happened when Kevin fought Jayden, he was only about a move or so from being able to beat him."

She shook her head sadly.

"We both know I'm no match for either of them." Emily told them. "The only one I'd probably be able to beat in a straight fight is Mike."

"Emily, you can't let thoughts like that drag you down." Serena told her. "You remember when Dekker kidnapped me? Do you remember how much you took it to him? That power's inside you, it always has been..."

"The difference was I was TRYING to destroy him!" Emily reminded her.

"I'll say, you dropped a frigging mountain on his sorry ass!" Mia said with a little smile, remembering that battle.

"The thing is, as much as we know we shouldn't, we all know we'll be pulling our punches. We don't want to destroy our friends." Emily told them. "I definitely won't be able to take Kevin or Jayden if I'm holding back. I appreciate what you're trying to suggest, but I have to face Mike."

"Well, I guess no one knows Jayden better than I do." Antonio said with a shrug. "I might not want to cut him down, but maybe knowing his moves will stop me getting my ass handed to me before Peter does...whatever it is he has planned."

"Alright, then we all face our own partners." Mia agreed reluctantly, rubbing Emily's back comfortingly. Serena just put a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you sure you're up for that?" Serena asked her.

"I guess I'll have to be." Emily said with a shrug. Peter just looked around.

"Alright, this plan will need the element of surprise to work." He told them, pulling his backpack up higher on his shoulder. "Serena and I will take the long road to the back entrance. You guys make your way up the front way."

"And make sure you get their attention." Serena reminded them. "We don't want to catch wind of what we're trying to do."

"No problemo man." Antonio replied, pulling out his morpher. "We'll make sure all eyes are on us."

As Serena and Peter started to run up a little dirt track, Mia looked to Emily.

"We want to make an Entrance right?" She asked. She then turned and morphed, before casting a symbol into the air. "Symbol Power, warhorse!"

With that, a horse, wearing barding trimmed in pink, with pink leg-defenders appeared before her. Emily just nodded in agreement, morphing and calling forth her own warhorse.

"Warhorses?" Antonio asked. "I guess I can give it a try."

With that, he cast forth a symbol, and the two girls just looked at him as a golden chopper appeared before him. He just held up his hands defensively.

"What? Horses scare me!" He protested as he got onto the motorcycle. "They have since the riding pony bit me at the fair on my sixth birthday."

"Alright, whatever." Mia replied. "Just as long as it gets attention."

With that, they all started to ride off on the path to the Shiba House. As they neared it, they could hear several sounds and blasts emanating from the front yard. A huge column of flame shooting into the air was the most visible confirmation that the guys were doing something.

"Alright, let's get their attention!" Antonio replied, firing a flare of light from his morpher. "Alright, Emily, open the gate!"

She cast forth a symbol, which turned into a rock as it flew through the air, smashing through the gate, leaving it in a splintered mass of firewood in the yard. The three Rangers arrived, bringing their respective rides to a halt. Looking over, they saw Jayden, Mike, Kevin and Alexandra all gathered around the Black Box. Given the state of the yard round about it, it appeared that they had been using their powers to try and destroy it.

"Alright young lady, that's quite enough playtime!" Mia called out, leaping from her horse and drawing her Spin Sword. "It's time for beddy byes."

"I think my daddies will have a little something to say about that." Alexandra replied as the three guys morphed and got ready for battle, standing opposite their respective partners. Mia's suspicion had been right, she was forcing them to fight the ones they loved the most to make the fights as hard as possible. They all prepared guards.

"Alright Serena, whatever you have planned, you better be quick about it." Mia whispered under her breath. With that, they all screamed battle-cries as they fell upon each other.

Over in Japan, Ji was sitting in a clinic, stripped to his underwear as the nurses checked him over. After the collapse of the mountain and his battle with Genkei, he was thankful for the assistance. He had no idea how he would repay the villagers for their assistance, unfortunately he had not had the chance to retrieve his backpack, which contained his clothes, and in the swim through the cavern, his money had been ruined.

He heard the nurses talking back and forth, commenting on him. For his age, he was in extremely good shape, but the thing that seemed to interest them the most was the tattoos covering much of his upper arms. It wasn't like the village was completely cut off from the outside world, but he could tell that it was a little backward, with some of the culture taking a little while to reach this far into the country. He could see that something about him made them nervous.

"_You do not need to worry, I am no Yakuza._" He told them as the doctor came back with some medications. The major crime syndicates in Japan, or Yakuza, were rightly feared, being the Japanese equivalent of the Mafia. They had a well-earned reputation for brutality and sadism in the course of their enterprises. Such was their reputation; even their own members were not above harsh treatment.

Part of their culture was that at one time, anyone who failed in a task had their pinkie removed as a warning. Such was the paranoia and fear surrounding them that the cartoon "Postman Pat" had actually been banned in Japan because the title character only had four fingers, leading to censors fearing that the public would believe he was a Yakuza. Another big part of their culture though was body art. Many long-term Yakuza were known to have many tattoos, with whole arm and torso body art not being unknown. Such was the prevalence of that belief that there were still a lot of establishments such as restaurants, bars and hotels that banned those with visible body art.

"_I am sorry, but body art is not common this far out into the country._" The doctor stated as he waved the nurses out of the room. "_It does make them a little nervous._"

"_It is merely the product of some questionable decisions in my youth._" Ji replied. The doctor just laughed.

"_I believe we all have some of those to look back on._" He answered, checking some of Ji's injuries. "_The stitches appear good, and I can give you something for any discomfort, but I am confident you will be fine._"

The doctor then handed him some clothing. It wasn't much, just some jeans, a jersey and a simple canvas jacket that looked like military surplus.

"_I took the liberty of procuring you some clothing._" The doctor told him. "_I doubt you would make it too far on your journey without something to wear._"

"_Sadly, I would also not make it far without money and supplies._" Ji told him. "_I hate to ask, you have already been so kind, but I was wondering if..._"

"_We should be able to provide you with some basics._" The doctor replied.

"_I would not be comfortable taking any more charity. You have already been more than generous._" Ji told him. "_Is there any way I can repay you for your kindness?_"

"_If you ask around the docks and the farms, there is usually someone that could do with a helping hand._" The doctor told him. "_I will spread word that you are looking to earn a way to repay our kindness. The locals will appreciate that I am sure._"

"_Thank you._" Ji replied, at which the doctor left. He started to get dressed, wondering what to do from here. He was hopeful that he would find a way to repay the kindness the villagers had shown a complete stranger without question, and also earn enough provisions for a trip into the wilderness, but to get home, he knew he would need more than an odd-job catching fish or tilling fields. He had to get back to the Tengen Gate.

Back at the Shiba House, Alexandra watched the battle with interest. So far, things were savage, and the two factions of Rangers were taking each other to the limits. She got an evil smirk on her face as she watched the Gold Ranger being smashed into the wall by Jayden's Fire Smasher. She honestly didn't care which faction won, if the Rangers she couldn't control won, then they would be too weak to stand up to her power.

She suddenly turned as she saw the door to the Shiba House open up, and Serena stood before her, holding Kasamune. She had managed to slip in the back door while everyone was distracted and retrieved the sword of the Blessed Warrior.

"Oh please, do you really think that pig sticker's going to scare me?" Alexandra scoffed. "I'm more powerful than..."

"Tell you what, why don't you show me how powerful you are?" Serena asked, driving her sword into the grass. She held her arms open. "Give it to me!"

Alexandra started to power up an attack, at which Serena started to prepare. She fired off a blast, so large and powerful that it caused everyone in the garden to turn and stare. Serena stood; her arms outstretched and started to focus her mind.

It was powerful, far more so than anything Daisuke had ever thrown at her, but using the technique he had shown her, she started to absorb the blast. She could feel the energy coursing through her, and she had to try to keep her mind clear, knowing that one slip could result in her being vaporised. As the light dissipated, and Alexandra looked to her exhausted, her mouth hung open in shock as Serena stood before her, the dragon tattoo glowing for a moment before she picked up the sword, channelling her energy into it.

"But...how?" She murmured. Just then, Peter leapt down from the wall behind her, wearing a bright yellow, plastic back-pack, connected by a cable to a super-soaker. He fired it at Alexandra, drenching her as he proceeded to empty the contents of it over her.

"What the hell is that?" Mia asked as she saw this. It didn't seem to do much to Alexandra; much more than anger her and make her wet, but the smell was incredibly strong.

"Use the resist symbol!" He called out. "Now!"

Emily, Mia and Antonio all powered up their weapons with white power disks, cutting their friends down from behind before they could recover and re-start the fight. They de-morphed as they fell to the ground.

"Alright Serena, it's your turn!" Peter told her as Alexandra turned back towards him, approaching him slowly, drawing a dagger. He'd already had one painful encounter with a Nighlock's blade, and he wasn't keen to repeat the experience.

Serena rushed the Nighlock, using every ounce of power that had been channelled into the blade. Alexandra fell to the ground, at which she exploded, ending her first life. Jayden, Kevin and Mike started to stir and come to.

"What...what happened?" Mike asked.

"We'll explain later." Serena told them. Antonio just sniffed the air, and looked at Peter.

"Vinegar?" He asked judgementally. "Your brilliant plan was to drench her with a super soaker full of vinegar?"

"She was controlling them with pheromones." Peter reminded him. "I just needed something strong enough to block their smell while you three hit them with the resist symbols."

"Alright guys, I doubt that she'll leave it at that." Serena reminded them. "I say you get the zords ready."

"But...won't she just take control of them again?" Emily asked.

"The cockpit's sealed with its own air supply." Kevin told her. "Once we're inside, she shouldn't be able to control us."

By the time Alexandra revived, and grew to massive size, the Rangers had already formed the Battlewing Megazord, while Antonio had called forth the Claw Spear Battle Zord.

"Who cares if you turned my daddies against me?" Alexandra called out as she started to swing a dagger for the two zords. "I'll destroy all of you and that accursed Black Box anyway!"

She managed to score a couple of hits, but Antonio managed to stagger her with the Octo Spear.

"Alright, time for us to finish her!" Mia called out. "Jayden?"

She looked to him, seeing he was silent, and unresponsive by his control console.

"Jayden?" She reiterated. He finally snapped out of it, pulling out the Megablade.

"Final strike!" He called out, leading his friends in the final attack. The huge Nighlock just pitched backwards, exploding as it hit the ground, destroyed forever.

The Rangers all arrived back in the Shiba House after the battle, where Peter and Serena were already putting the Black Box back in the safe. They turned to see the others coming back. Emily and Mia looked especially delighted as they led Kevin and Mike back into the Living Room.

"Alright, the Black Box is back where it belongs." Serena stated.

"And I have my friends back!" Emily said excitedly. "And Serena, what about that energy thing you did? That...was...FREAKING AWESOME!"

Just then, Antonio noticed Jayden moving quite slowly. He had been very quiet since the battle. The Red Ranger bent down, picking something up from the floor. The others just stared at each other as they realised it was one of Alexandra's toys.

"Jayden...?" Mia asked. Without a word though, he just left the house, leaving all his friends behind him, walking alone into the night.


	16. Jayden's Loss

In a small village in Japan, Mentor Ji was walking along the water front, watching as the fishing boats there made their way around in the waters a short way from the shore, while others were docked in harbour, unloading their catch. Given the size of the village, he could tell that they were relatively small operations, but he smiled to see that places like this still existed.

His family had immigrated to the US early in the last century. He had only been to Japan once before, when he went to Tokyo for a fortnight in his childhood. Although he had loved it, with the exception of the street signs, and the fact the fast food carts sold various forms of noodles and fish instead of pretzels and hot dogs, he found that the city seemed strangely similar to any other he had been to. His father had seen that he was disappointed, and assured him that any large city was the same. If one wanted to see what a country was truly like, and engage in the real culture, then they had to go off the beaten track and see some of the smaller villages and towns where the march of progress had not made most of the amenities homogenous. The way his father had put it, if there wasn't a McDonalds and a Pizza Hut on every street corner, then it was more likely to be a true representation of the culture.

Ji stood for a moment, watching the fishermen working diligently. It was amazing to see men, varying in age between being around the same age as his Rangers, right up to several years older than him, working at a pace that would put many to shame. Nets, many of which had to weigh as much as a man were brought into the harbour to be sorted and prepared for shipping. He heard a small cough behind him.

"_You're back on your feet quicker than I expected._" A man said as he approached him. He was slightly hunched, and by the looks of him, was probably old enough to have retired years earlier had he been living anywhere closer to the times.

"_I do not believe in spending too long recovering._" Ji told him. "_It'll take more than a mountain collapsing to slow me down._"

"_I suppose you're finding all this a little different._" The man asked him.

"_I am, but I must admit, it is nice here._" Ji told him. "_The doctor told me that I may be able to get some work here. I require a few things before I begin the next leg of my journey, and I wish to be able to repay the kindness this village has shown me. It is a matter of honour._"

"I wish more visitors from the cities understood honour as you clearly do." The fisherman replied, switching to perfect English and slapping Ji on the shoulder. "Sadly, most of the city types that come here do so to take photos and comment on how quaintly backward we are before heading back home to find a KFC."

"You speak English?" Ji asked him.

"Do not let my age fool you my friend. I did not always live out here. I too once sought the anonymous shelter of the larger cities." He told him.

"So what changed?" Ji asked him as the man led him towards a shed.

"I found I prefer this life." He answered honestly. "I found something I was missing here. I can honestly say in forty years, I've never felt the desire to go back to that life."

He brought Ji over to a work station, where large containers full of fish were being rolled along. There were dozens of workers there, sitting by containers. Upon closer inspection, they were working with knives, gutting the fish and disposing of the guts into troughs sitting by their feet.

"We all do multiple jobs here, our business is far too small to afford to do anything else I'm afraid." The man told him. "Here, we clean and gut the fish."

He pointed over to a red light in the corner.

"When you hear the siren and that light flashes, everyone's to report to the docks to help unload the nets." The man continued. "Do you think you can handle that?"

"My friend Antonio is the fisherman of the group." Ji told him, taking a knife off the table and twirling it expertly. "But I know my way around a blade."

"Work hard, and we'll see what we can do for you." The man told him. "My name is Hiro. We're very informal here, so there's no need for 'boss' or anything like that."

"I will not let you down." Ji told him, sitting down by his station, and beginning to work. He could see that it was a modest setting here, and only time would tell how quickly he could earn enough to satisfy his karmic debt to the villagers and be on his way, but thinking of getting back to the others, he just started to work with a smile on his face.

Back in the states, the sun was rising the following day, when Mia and Kevin heard someone moving around. Mia just looked to her alarm, finding that it was early, even for Kevin. His alarm wasn't due for another half hour to go for his morning run.

They just looked to each other a little curiously, before coming out into the main room, running into Emily and Mike in the corridor.

"You guys heard it too?" Emily asked. They just nodded.

They heard a crash coming from the direction of the garden, and all rushed outside, finding Jayden outside, smashing up wood. On closer inspection, they could see that it was Alexandra's crib. He finished by picking it up and throwing it onto a pile of clothes, toys and other assorted items that had been bought in for the baby.

"Jayden?" Mia asked him. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Jayden asked, heading to a corner and picking up a can of gasoline. Mia and Emily ran over and tried to stop him.

"Jayden, you can't do this!" Mia told him.

"You're going to burn all Alexandra's stuff?" Emily asked him incredulously.

"It's not as if she's going to need it is it?" Jayden asked her. "Now, if you'll excuse me..."

"Jayden, you can't just burn a bunch of stuff at the back of five in the morning!" Mike interjected. "If nothing else, I'm pretty sure there are laws against having a fire in your garden."

"Yeah, this is kind of nuts." Kevin added.

"Guys, can you...?" Mia asked, gesturing to them to back off a little. She took Jayden by the arm and led him away a little. "Look, you're upset..."

"Mia, I can live without the lecture." Jayden told her. "I bought this stuff, it's mine to do with as I see fit. Now..."

"Jayden!" Mia cut in. He just put down the can of gasoline, something of a relief for her, but as he stared at her, she just took a deep breath. She looked to the pile. "I think the crib's a goner, but there's plenty of good stuff here. You should maybe..."

"Mia, who am I going to keep it for?" Jayden asked her sarcastically. She just shook her head.

"Alright, this stuff reminds you of Alexandra, I get that." She told him.

"She was a Nighlock." Jayden put down flatly. "She's gone, that's all there is to it."

"Jayden..."

"If that's what's bothering you, let us get rid of it." Mike interjected, looking to the pile. He picked up a teddy bear and looked to it. "I'm pretty sure the local kids' hospital would love some of this stuff."

"Or maybe Good Will." Kevin suggested. "Like Mia said, there's plenty of good stuff here. It seems a shame to waste it."

"Fine, do whatever you want with it." Jayden snapped, grabbing a jacket and heading for the gate. "By the time I get back, anything that isn't gone is getting burned."

"Jayden..."

"I mean it Mia; I don't want to see any of it again!" He interrupted her harshly, before storming out of the house. She just turned back to the others and sighed.

"He isn't doing so good is he?" Mike asked.

"Wow, you figured that one out?" Kevin asked sarcastically in response. "What tipped you off, the attitude or the Bonfire of the Baby Vanities?"

Mia just picked up a few things, looking to them sadly.

"I'll just keep a hold of these." She told them. "Kevin, see if you can find some boxes. Like you said, it seems a shame to waste what's left of this."

Meanwhile, back in Japan, Ji was thankful by the time his shift ended. Although the work was kind of satisfying, it was also tiring, and he felt incredibly unclean. Once thing he had noticed as the day progressed was that despite the smell in the building being strong at the beginning, somewhere during the day, he stopped really noticing it. He imagined that right now, they all pretty much smelled as bad as each other, and so it was just his body becoming habituated to it.

As he got to the door, he saw Hiro standing there, smiling.

"You did well today." He said with a smile on his face. "You weren't joking when you said you knew your way round a blade."

"Thank you." Ji responded as his boss pulled out a roll of cash. He hadn't noticed any ATMs in the village, so he guessed he shouldn't be surprised that many of the villagers didn't get paid into their bank account. He was handed a few bills, and looked at it, forcing a smile. While he had to admit that he was pleased to get paid each day, he was more than aware of the fact that the pay wasn't much. By the time he paid for a room, a meal and some more clothing so he had something to wear outside of work, there was not much left over for stashing aside for the doctor and supplies for his trip. He had hoped he would only be there a couple of days, but that was starting to look like wishful thinking.

"Alright, how about I show you to the inn?" Hiro asked him. "We usually go there for drinks after work anyway. The rooms are pretty good there."

"That would be appreciated." Ji answered, forcing himself to smile despite his disappointment at his financial situation. "I may be here a while, and I have a feeling a comfortable will help greatly."

It wasn't a long walk from the harbour to the inn, which was, like everything else around here, a rather modest affair, only two stories, with a little wooden balcony out the front overlooking the harbour. As he got inside, he could see that Hiro wasn't exaggerating. It looked like almost everyone in town was there, buying drink and food for the night as they talked and laughed, unwinding after a hard day. The staff ran around frantically, trying to keep up with the demands.

"I took the liberty of booking your room earlier." He told Ji, handing him a key. "The rooms are all upstairs. Just make yourself comfortable, and come down when you're ready for something to eat."

"You've given me no reason to distrust you so far Hiro." Ji told him, taking a seat. "I think I'd rather just get something to eat."

"Well, I think my wife can arrange that for you." Hiro stated, signalling the woman behind the bar. "Believe me; you haven't lived until you've tried her cooking."

Ji was feeling a little better at hearing this. It did seem that Hiro was on the level about helping him out. As he was handed a drink and a bowl of soup while he waited on his main course, he noticed a little commotion over in the corner.

"What's going on there?" Ji asked him. Hiro looked across and smiled.

"Some of the men in the village like to play tiles." Hiro explained. "It's a harmless enough game in itself, but once the money starts to get involved..."

"Gambling?" Ji asked him. Hiro just nodded.

"I don't object though. Those that don't know how to play ensure I've got no shortage of people to cover overtime shifts. An angry wife can be quite the motivation for a hopeless gambler."

"How is the game played?" Ji asked him. Hiro just laughed.

"I thought you wanted to get out of here." He stated derisively. Ji just nodded in response.

"I do, but seeing as I'm here, I may as well learn something of the local customs." Ji answered, starting his soup. "Wow, this is good!"

"Well, if your curiosity is only academic, I suppose there would be no harm in explaining the game while we eat." He answered as he took a long swig from a bottle. Ji kept an eye on the table, shifting so he could get a better look at the game being played. He knew that his plan was risky, and that he would likely be giving his Rangers a long lecture about the pitfalls of gambling, but given how little money he was going to have left by the time he paid for everything, he was starting to think that it could take him seeks, maybe even months to accrue enough. Although the doctor had never asked for payment, he was keen to ensure he repaid him before he left. If he could figure out other ways to supplement his income, perhaps his journey could get underway a lot sooner.

Later in the day, Jayden came back into the yard of the Shiba House, finding Mia sitting waiting for him. He had missed the whole day of training, just walking around as he tried to make sense of the world around him. He saw her sitting, holding something in her hands. As he came across, he could see it was some kind of stuffed toy.

"Mia, I told you to get rid of all that stuff." Jayden told her abruptly.

"Jayden..."

"I don't want to hear it Mia!" He called out. She just shook her head and opened her hands, showing him the toy more clearly. It wasn't one of the ones he had bought for Alexandra. It didn't even look particularly new. It was a pale blue bunny, barely more than a few inches in height. It was slightly worn, indicating it was at least a couple of years old.

"This was Evan's." She explained. "My dad bought it for him on the day he was born."

Jayden sat down next to her as she looked to the rabbit.

"You kept it?" He asked her. She just nodded.

"I didn't want to." Mia admitted. "After what happened, I didn't want anything that reminded me of him. That was the only thing we had a chance to buy for him."

"Mia, this is different." Jayden sighed. "What happened with Evan was tragic, but he was yours."

"And Alexandra was yours." Mia reminded him. "I know she was a Nighlock, and in the end you had to take her out, but there was more to her than that."

"No there wasn't." Jayden protested. He was about to get up and leave, but Mia just grabbed him and pulled him back down.

"Jayden, do you think we're all blind?" Mia asked him. "Maybe you think we're all stupid."

"Mia, I don't want to talk about this!" He stated.

"Jayden, we all saw what you were like with her." Mia said soothingly. "She was a surprise, we get that. You never asked to have her, you never expected it, but you took to looking after her like a duck to water."

She placed a hand on his, causing him to look up at her.

"We all saw how happy you were when you were with her. We all saw how much you did for her." Mia continued. "You can't believe that was all just a spell."

Jayden just held his head in his hands as he tried to get things straight in his mind. He didn't want to think about it, but it was the only thing that had been going through his mind, no matter what he did.

"I was so blind to the truth." He admitted. "I didn't believe Antonio, and he was just trying to warn me. He loved me, and I just thought..."

He could hardly bring himself to talk about it.

"I just...I just wanted it to be true so badly." Jayden told her. "I've never had a normal life. From the moment I was born I was raised for all this, I never had anything normal."

Mia reached across, stroking his back gently.

"I was home-schooled almost all my life. I never got to play all the games other kids did, I hardly ever even saw another kid." Jayden told her. "Then when Antonio came back and I...discovered..."

"You wanted something normal." Mia concluded.

"I'm still getting over what I am, and what it means for my life." Jayden whispered, looking to her. "Antonio was right about one thing. When Alexandra came onto our doorstep, as much as I was freaked out about the idea of raising a kid, a part of me seized it with both hands. It was like someone had just given me something that I probably would never have."

"Jayden, I only had my son for three days, and I was devastated when he died." She told him. "It's alright to miss her. Not the Nighlock, but the little girl you changed and fed and rocked to sleep at night."

She pulled out a small, canvas doll and handed it to Jayden. He smiled as he saw it, wiping away a couple of tears.

"You bought her this on the night she came here." Jayden remembered.

"It's alright to remember her." Mia assured him. "What you had with her, you wouldn't be human if you hadn't grown to care for her."

"Mia." He called out as she started to leave. "Evan...did it get easier?"

"It does eventually." She told him. "But I'll never forget him. Even if I do end up starting a family one day, I'll never forget him."

"Would you...mind sitting with me a little longer?" Jayden asked her. Mia shook her head and sat with him, putting her arm around her.

"Not at all." She whispered to him. "Just take as long as you need."


	17. Gambles

**A/N:** I keep forgetting to do this, and I'm sure by context it's obvious, but anything written in italics is to be presumed to be spoken in Japanese. I only mention it because there is a scene where speech switches between English and Japanese. Also, shout out to a mention of a great film mentioned in the chapter, Tony Jaa's "Warrior King", which has probably the most badass fight sequence I've EVER SEEN!

For a large part of the night, Ji watched as the other fishermen played the game of tiles. While Hiro had explained it to him, he wanted to really see how the game was played in a practical sense before he risked jumping in and played it himself, especially if he intended to gamble as they did.

It was an intriguing game, one that he was sure that one could spend a lifetime studying and still never truly master. It was something of a cross between dominos, liar dice, and poker. As he watched, he started to realise that what the player actually did have on his tiles was rarely what mattered; it was more what he could make his opponents believe he had, misleading them into playing the tiles that would benefit him.

Unlike dominos, the game was not simply a case of number-to-number, or in this case, letter to letter since the tiles were marked with Kanji symbols, the game allowed for tiles to be placed on top of others so long as the symbols on it matched the ones on the tiles beneath. There were a lot more tiles, and the rules of the game were complex, but he had a feeling he was starting to get the idea of how it was played. As one of the players laid down his last tile, he threw up his fists in victory, while the others just groaned in disappointment. He started to gather up money as the others started to discuss the game and how they had missed opportunities that could have given them the game and the purse.

"You see, it is a fools' game." Hiro commented. "I have seen many men gamble away all their money..."

"_Deal me in!_" Ji told the players as he sat down. While he knew that gambling was always a risky idea, he believed he had a good grasp from his observation of how the game was played, and he was desperate to earn what he needed quickly. Hiro just shrugged as he gathered up his coat.

"I can always use good workers on overtime shifts." He sighed, patting Ji on the shoulder. "Don't gamble away all of your money."

Ji though was already focussed as one of the players started handing out the tiles. He genuinely hated gambling, not because of the vice involved, but because he had done a lot of it in his youth, and knew how quickly and easily people got into serious trouble. He hadn't done any serious gambling in years, and he was certain that if he caught any of his Rangers gambling, he would likely give them a long and stern lecture about it. However, if he didn't intend to spend months in this village, he guessed it was a necessary evil.

"_Put your money down._" A particularly humourless player barked at him. Ji saw the wagers being thrown onto the table, and started to wonder as to the wisdom of the plan. After paying for the room and the meal, it would be almost all of his profit margin, but he just threw it onto the table, reminding himself of the old adage, no risk, no reward.

"_Who is leading off?_" Ji asked them. One of the players laid down a tile, at which the man to his right laid down another. Ji guessed that meant the game progressed in a counter-clockwise direction. As it came to his turn, he laid down a tile, before looking to the others, seeing nothing but stony, expressionless faces. He smirked slightly; this was a lot more serious than a mere game.

Back at the Shiba House, Mike was sitting on the edge of his bed, flicking through a catalogue. It was only a couple of weeks until Christmas, and he still couldn't think of anything to get for Emily.

It wasn't that he didn't care about her; it was exactly the opposite problem. He loved her so much, that as soon as he thought of something, a voice inside him just told him that it was a crummy idea. Nothing he could think of was good enough to show her what she really meant to him. She loved stuffed toys, as was demonstrated by the practical zoo that she had brought with her when she came to the Shiba House, but that was also part of the problem. She had many stuffed animals, so many Mike wasn't sure if there was even a species LEFT that she didn't have represented in plush form. Not only that, apparently many people had given her such toys, so it was something of a theme for her, so he imagined it wouldn't mean a whole lot if the guy that loved her just handed her another teddy to throw on the pile.

He had thought of other things, like a writing set. He knew that while Serena was in the house, and she loved having her near her, she still missed her parents dreadfully, and Christmas was one of the few exceptions Jayden had given them for their "no contact" rule with their families. However, he had already seen her typing something on her laptop which she refused to let him see, and guessed it was something to do with her family. Serena had done something similar earlier in the day. No, it was simply not enough.

As she walked in following her shower, he smiled. Since they now had their own room, and she was used to him being there, she seemed to have dropped a couple of barriers. She was dressed only in towels, something he was certain would have caused her to turn beetroot red only a few months earlier, but she had done this a few times recently.

"The water's still warm." She told him, starting to brush her hair. "You better have your shower before Antonio uses it all."

Mike just nodded and started to head towards the shower, putting the catalogue down on the table. He paused next to her and gently kissed Emily on the neck.

"Mike!" She giggled.

"How would you feel about going out to dinner?" He asked her. "Just us?"

"That sounds great." Emily replied with a smile. "Now go get a shower!"

"Anything you want." Mike replied with a grin on his face. She was so wonderful that he always strived to be a better person, just so he would feel like he deserved her. He made his way into the en-suite, and started up the water. He didn't have long, but he was determined to find something that was worthy of her.

Back in Japan, Ji was embroiled in a spirited game, and the crowd gathering around was enjoying every twist and turn. He looked to the tiles in his hand, maintaining a poker face as he analysed the game. If luck was on his side, then he had a way to win in only a couple of moves, but if not, then he was sure one of the others would quickly put an end to the game. One of the other players only had one tile left.

He laid down a tile, taking care which one he did. He was not necessarily a gifted mathematician, but he was starting to understand the maths behind the game, and was predicting what the others, especially the player with only one tile left, had in their hands.

The one-tile player groaned loudly, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief as he picked up more tiles. Ji had indeed managed to block him from victory. Now, all he needed to do was find a way to get his own tiles out. He watched the others lay theirs down, before the game came back round to him. He saw a couple of options, and having two tiles himself, he had two ways to go, but again he just tried to figure out the maths and figure out which one was more likely to have another chance when his next turn came. He eventually laid one down.

He watched as the others all stared intently at their tiles, trying to figure out what to do. They all knew that now Ji only had one tile, and whatever they did could be what allowed him to win the purse. He just kept his face straight as one by one, they laid down their tiles. As the game came back around to him, he smiled. Laying down his tile, the other players all groaned, but they still congratulated him on a well-played game. All except one. As Ji grabbed the pot, one of the players slammed a hand down on the pile of money.

"_You cheated!_" He declared loudly. "_No one could do so well in their first game!_"

Ji looked around the crowd thoughtfully. He really liked this place, and the people there. This was the first time he'd crossed words with any of them. He didn't want to start any trouble, but the man had called him a cheat. It was something he couldn't let lie.

"_I did not cheat, I simply played well._" Ji told him. "_Now, I shall take my money and go to bed. Work begins early tomorrow._"

"_Give me back my money!_" The other man snapped.

"_It is not yours; I won it fair and square._" Ji told him flatly.

"_It is my money, I need..._"

"_Then you have learned a valuable lesson about gambling my friend._" Ji interrupted him. "_Do not gamble with what you cannot afford to lose. It is a fools' endeavour._"

"_You WILL pay!"_ The man barked, before storming out. The others just started to file out after him. It was well after closing time anyway, they were only still there to see the end of the game. Hiro's wife tapped him on the shoulder.

"Do not worry; he has always been a sore loser." She assured him in surprisingly good English. Ji just shook his head.

"I do not wish to cause trouble, I merely needed the money." He told her.

"You won it fairly." She reminded him. "It is yours. He will just have to live with that fact."

Ji just nodded as he got up, making his way to his room. He knew he had a long and hard day ahead of him, but now he had a little more money behind him, he was hopeful that there would not be too many more.

In the States, Serena and Peter were lying on the couch, Serena resting contentedly in his arms. The Rangers were all already in bed, needing their rest since they would be up early to train. Serena was fortunate enough that Spike and Bulk started their training at 9, meaning she could have a couple of hours with Peter by herself.

"So...that guy's pissed because the other guy killed his elephant?" Peter asked her. Serena just giggled. She had to admit that the plot of Tony Jaa's "Warrior King" was not the most inspired, but the movie had its own merits.

"Yeah." She sniggered. "I know, the old revenge flick is kind of clichéd, but action films usually are. It's not like there are too many reasons one guy would want to kick another guys ass."

He continued to watch as the next scene came on, and his jaw just dropped. He was aware that action stars generally looked dominant in their films, but this was something else. Tony's character...he couldn't remember the character's name since the whole film was in Thai with subtitles which he was much too tired to be bothered reading...decimated what seemed to be almost a hundred bad guys, every one of them with what appeared to be some form of bone break.

"Holy Shit!" He remarked. "Is that stuff even possible?"

"What? Defeating a hundred strong army single handed?" Serena asked him. "Doubtful, but most of those techniques are real. I learned a few of them before I was in Grade School."

"I guess no one messed with you then." He replied with a smile. She just sighed.

"It was Emily that got a rough ride." She admitted. "Although we both knew how to handle ourselves in a fight, the kids never hit her. If they had, she'd have put them in traction. The worst part was they never took her on in a way she could fight back."

"You always do that you know." He commented. Serena just looked up at him.

"What?" She asked.

"I was asking about you, and you started to talk about Emily." He reminded her. "You always seem to do that."

"I...um..." She stammered, trying to think of something. "I guess there isn't that much to tell."

"Really?" He asked. "What, no dances, no awkward..."

"I spent the last couple of years on a deathbed, expecting to die." She told him flatly. "If it wasn't for the Swordfish Zord, I might not even be here now. I don't really have much of a life experience."

"As opposed to the guy that is still technically a fugitive in his home country?" He asked her. "There is still a warrant for my arrest for cyber terrorism out there."

"I guess I was kind of boring." She sighed. He looked down to her, lifting her face towards his.

"You are anything but boring." He assured her.

"I know, the whole Samurai thing seems cool and..." Her words were cut off as he started to kiss her passionately. Her eyes were wide for a moment, but quickly afterwards, she closed her eyes, and melted into him, enjoying the experience. He parted from her a little way as she tried to regain coherent thoughts.

"I love you." He whispered. Those words, those three short, simple words hit her like a hard smack in the face. She was stunned by what he had said. As she tried to process it, suddenly her brain couldn't think of anything. It was like every single thing that was in there, even things like how to breathe simply fell out of her head. She could feel her mouth moving, but no words were coming out, and she had no idea what she was doing.

Looking at him, it was agonising. It felt like hours, days even that he was waiting for a response, but it just wouldn't come. She wanted to answer, but for some reason, she just couldn't. Peter tried to hide his disappointment, forcing a smile as he got up from the couch.

"I'll put the movie away." He told her. "I don't think the others will appreciate it if we leave the TV on all night."

As he put away the DVD, and came back, kissing her softly, Serena still had no capacity to speak, not even to wish him goodnight. She hated herself for the fact that she had done that, she didn't know why she had. She lifted her feet onto the couch, hugging her knees to her chest as tears started to run down her face.

Back in Japan the following morning, Ji arrived at the docks, but saw that he was already late by the standards of the locals. The first boats were already in the water, and several others were already cleaning and gutting fish. Hiro saw him and smiled.

"So, you finally decided to grace us with your presence." He teased him. Ji just shook his head.

"I am sorry, I believed..."

"You'll find we operate on a different timetable here." Hiro interrupted him. "I never told you a start time, it is my own fault."

Ji didn't feel much better, but he was happy that at least Hiro didn't seem to object to him strolling in what looked like at least a couple of hours late compared to the others. Just then, he heard a siren.

"There's a boat coming in." Hiro told him. "Help them unload."

Ji ran to the dockside, and ran up a small flight of stairs onto a raised platform, arriving there first. The boat was docking, and the first net came in, swinging towards him. Ji caught it, staggered slightly by its weight, but shoved it along the line, towards the shed.

He started to think about his Rangers, the thought he always had whenever he had something unpleasant to do. He hadn't spoken to any of them since he had left. For a long time, his cell phone didn't have a signal, and it had been destroyed in the cave. He had no way to contact them, which meant he couldn't find out what was happening with them. He genuinely cared for them, much like he imagined he would have with his own children if he had been so blessed.

"Look out!" He heard someone shout out, tearing him from his daydream. He turned in time to see an empty hook swinging his way. He pulled back only a couple of inches, instinctually reaching out to it, placing his hand on the side to avoid the points, and nudged it slightly aside. It swung past him, embedding itself in the side of the wooden shed. The whole incident took place in less than a second. Workers ran over to where Ji was standing, still amped up by the accident and the adrenaline of it.

"Ji, are you alright?" Hiro asked him.

"I am unharmed." Ji reassured him. "I could do with some tea, but..."

"_You heard him, go!_" Hiro snapped at one of the workers, who just ran off. "Are you sure...?"

"I will be fine after a few moments." Ji replied. He didn't want to make a big deal out of the incident; he was sure that in a workplace so dangerous that accidents happened all the time. Of course, he also knew he couldn't really afford to take time off. He had no intention of risking the money he had won already, and needed that days wage for the games tonight. The worker came back with some tea, handing Ji a cup.

"Thank you." Ji told him, taking it gratefully, before looking to Hiro. "I will be back on the line shortly."

"After that..."

"I'm fine." Ji reiterated. "I assure you, I am fine."

"Don't rush." Hiro told him, before turning to the rest of his workers. "_Alright, back to work you slackers! Those fish won't gut themselves!_"


	18. Decorating

The following morning, the Rangers were having breakfast after morning training. Breakfast was kind of a quiet affair today, quite a lot had been happening, and no one was really in much of a talkative mood. Just as the silence was becoming unbearable, Mia came into the room carrying a couple of large boxes. One of them had a little tinsel hanging out of it, betraying what was inside.

"Alright guys, we've left it long enough." Mia told them flatly. "Mentor Ji told us where the decorations are for a reason."

Jayden, Antonio, Serena and Peter all just looked at each other, but didn't say anything. They might not have been particularly vocal, but then they didn't look as if they were exactly jumping for joy. Mike and Emily though positively lit up as they saw the boxes. Mike ran across to the boxes, tearing the first one open, Emily was quickly by his side, beginning to pull decorations out.

"Mia, we really have a lot on." Jayden sighed. "I mean, I have some work to do on the Sealing Symbol."

"I still have the Black Box to finish." Antonio told her. "It's not going to configure itself, and it's kicking my butt."

"Bulk and Spike still have one more lesson before I'm giving them a break for Christmas." Serena stated, trying to concentrate on something other than what had happened the previous night.

"Come on guys, I know a lot's been happening, but there's less than two weeks to go." Mia reminded them. "We keep putting it off, and it's not like any of that stuff can't wait for an hour or two."

"Yeah, besides decorating is great!" Mike told them.

"Yeah, it always gets me in the mood for the season!" Emily added, starting to struggle as she became tangled in a bundle of tinsel and fairy lights. "I always used to have my room decorated by the beginning of November!"

"Why can I believe that?" Antonio groaned.

"Believe it." Serena answered with a little nod. As she put her dish into the sink, Mia just stomped her foot, giving them all a hard glare.

"Alright, what part of this looks like I'm joking?" Mia asked them.

"Mia..."

"We've all been through some stuff recently, I get that!" She told them. "Now, I don't know about you, but Christmas at my house always made us feel happier, and we used to love decorating, so you're all going to help and enjoy yourselves whether you want to or not!"

Mike held up a hand, looking a little confused, but Emily just grabbed his hand and shook her head. Mia had lost patience, and she was determined that they were doing this as a group. It was not going to be a good idea to point out the fact that what she had said didn't strictly speaking make sense.

"Wait, we're missing a Ranger." Antonio pointed out. "How come Prince Charming isn't helping?"

"He just so happens to be getting some shopping. Someone has to get the tree and all the stuff for Christmas Dinner." She told them. Mike just smiled.

"You wanted a tree?" He asked her, pulling out his Samuraizer. "Why didn't you say so?"

"No Mike, we're doing this properly!" Mia told him. "No Samuraizers, we're going to decorate this place from top to bottom the way it should be done."

"But what about my lessons?" Serena asked her. "Spike and Bulk are waiting for me!"

"Alright, you can go." Mia told her. "But only because you made a promise to Bulk and Spike. No one else leaves the house without permission until this place looks like Lapland!"

Back in Japan, Ji's day was progressing without any further incident. He had been fortunate enough to see the empty hook coming in time to dodge it, but that didn't mean to say there wasn't still a slightly scary moment when he saw it coming straight for him.

The work was going well though, and although it was tiring, he still felt a sense of satisfaction as he worked his way closer to his journey home.

He stopped as his foreman called out, telling him he could go for a break. Although he was sure he had been given more breaks than he should, he suspected that he was being given some measure of leeway in the hopes that he wouldn't make a huge issue out of the accident. He was grateful for the respite, and just went outside.

As he grabbed some water, he saw something a little odd. Hiro was talking with a couple of gentlemen on the waterfront. Two of the men were wearing suits, while the third Ji recognised as the bad loser from the game of tiles he had played the previous night. The discussion looked a little animated, and somewhat less than friendly. Eventually, Hiro just reached into his coat, taking out a large roll of money, and started to count some out, handing it over to the men. The bad loser took a significant share, handing it to the men in suits, at which they left. Hiro saw Ji watching and came across.

"I wasn't aware you did advances on wages." Ji commented.

"Things work a certain way out here." He answered. "You met Yoshi last night. Well, his father owns a large business concern down the river. We have an...arrangement."

"Protection?" Ji asked him. Hiro just laughed and shook his head.

"Yoshi would not have the courage for such an endeavour." He answered. "No, but his father's business has a much larger fleet. They stay away from our waters in exchange for a cut of our profits."

"And no one does anything about this?" Ji asked him. Hiro just shrugged.

"Strictly speaking there is nothing illegal with simply moving a business to another location." Hiro reminded him. "If his fleet came here, we would likely not survive very long."

"So you just pay him?" Ji asked. Hiro just nodded.

"Unfortunately, as you saw, he has a bad habit." Hiro told him. "He finds himself without money, so he asks for more."

"Surely his father has to know he's skimming off the top of his payments." Ji asked him.

"I doubt he cares. The payments are more a mark of respect than anything." Hiro explained as he took a seat with Ji. "His father is far from a poor man. He has no need of my money."

"That must make it difficult to maintain a business." Ji commented.

"We have survived this long." Hiro told him, patting him on the shoulder. "You do not need to worry, your wages are safe."

With that, he headed into the shed. Ji just sat and pondered what he had seen and heard. He doubted the local law enforcement could or would do anything. Like Hiro had said, it wasn't strictly speaking illegal to just agree not to fish in certain areas, and strictly speaking the money could be viewed as gifts. While the practice didn't leave any evidence suggesting illegal business practices, they were certainly unethical. He just shook his head and got up, making his way back inside. Just like the gang wars his father had stopped him intervening in, he had a sad feeling that this was something that he may not have a place intervening in.

Back in the States, Kevin was just loading up the SUV, putting the last of the groceries away. There was a large tree tied to a roof-rack on top, and the vehicle was heavily laden, but he had finally finished, and was about to start on his journey home, when he heard something from a little way off. It was a guitar playing. He waited for a few moments, before recognising the song he was hearing. It was one he had heard Aaron playing.

He started to make his way towards the music, rounding a corner and finding that sure enough, Aaron was standing on a street corner, regaling passers-by with his music, hoping no doubt to earn enough money to ensure he ate that day. Kevin and Mia had been searching for Aaron for some time, ever since Mia had agreed to marry him. Although Kevin hated what Aaron had done to her in the past, he loved her enough to respect the fact she wanted to settle things that had been left hanging all those years ago.

As Kevin got nearer, he could see that the guitar case had a fair bit of money in it. Obviously the Christmas Spirit made the shoppers a little more generous with their donations. As he got closer though, he heard Aaron stop playing. He looked to the musician, only to see he had a panicked look on his face. The last time he had seen him, Kevin had quite literally thrown him out of the Shiba House by the scruff of his neck.

"You!" He rushed out in a panic.

"Look man, I just want to talk..."

"Stay away from me!" Aaron screamed, picking up his guitar case, spilling some money on the ground as he did so, and started to sprint as quickly as he could away from him. All things considered, Kevin couldn't blame him. He had threatened to kill him if he ever saw him again. Kevin scooped up the cash, figuring Aaron couldn't really afford to leave that volume of money behind, and started to run after him.

Aaron managed to cut a pretty impressive pace all things considered. Even with all his belongings encumbering him, and the mall being full of shoppers, he was managing a respectable attempt to get away from his pursuer. However, the fact was that Aaron simply did not have the same level of fitness that Kevin did. Eventually, he corralled him into a dead-end, where Aaron dropped his guitar case.

"Look man, leave me alone!" He screamed at him.

"I didn't come to hurt you, I only want to talk." He told him. Aaron didn't look convinced though, and as Kevin got closer, he grabbed his guitar by the neck and started swinging it wildly. Kevin blocked it, taking care not to damage it. "Now, you aren't going to make much money if you smash this now are you?"

"What do you want with me?" Aaron shrieked. "Let me go! I'll give you my money, I'll..."

"Do you really think I want your money?" Kevin asked him incredulously. "To be honest, I barely even want to talk to you, but this isn't about what I want. It's about what Mia wants."

"Mia?" Aaron asked him. "What about her?"

"Not that you deserve it, but for some God unknown reason she wants to talk to you." Kevin told him flatly. "I love her, and her happiness means a great deal to me. Despite what I want, however I feel about you, she wants to see you."

"Mia wants to see me?" Aaron asked him, taking a seat on a nearby set of steps. "I can't...I mean...after what I did, why would she...?"

"I don't know, but we're going to find out." Kevin told him. He handed Aaron the money he had dropped, before going into his wallet and pulling out a fifty, handing it to him. "Alright, there's a motel a little way from here. This is enough to get you a room for tonight and a meal. It's yours on one condition."

"You want me to see Mia." Aaron surmised. Kevin nodded.

"Get yourself cleaned up, and wait for us in the motel." He told him. "We'll be there tomorrow morning."

Kevin didn't know if he could trust Aaron to hang around without someone to keep an eye on him. He looked like the prospect of talking with Mia was pretty much the last thing he wanted to do, and he couldn't write off the possibility that he would simply take the night in the motel and run off before they could get there. He reasoned that at least if he did that, then he would prove to Mia that he was beyond redemption and she could write him off once and for all. Eventually Aaron just took the fifty.

"Alright, which way?" Aaron asked him. Kevin just flicked a thumb down the street.

"I'll take you." He told him.

Meanwhile, Serena arrived at Bulk and Spike's house, seeing them in the yard, decorating. She had arrived at their club house, finding a note attached to the door telling her that they were at their house. It was starting to get cold, and she presumed they were relaxing their "live like a samurai" rule for the winter, the allure of central heating being too great for them.

She smiled as she saw Spike running over to her, carrying a large plastic reindeer.

"Hey, Serena, you got our message!" He told her. "Sorry, the decision was kind of last minute."

"This place looks great." She commented.

"Yeah, but we're going to need to do some shopping." Spike commented. "I remember us having more food."

Serena felt a little guilty as she heard him saying this. Although they had cleaned up after themselves, it had slipped everyone's mind to replace the food they had taken when they were hiding out there. She now couldn't exactly admit to them that she had high jacked their house without asking.

"Say, you don't seem that happy." He commented. "Don't you like Christmas or something?"

"Who do you know that doesn't like Christmas?" Serena asked him wearily, setting down her bag of training equipment. She took out a bokken, and gestured to Bulk to join them. He brought over their own equipment.

"Well, there is the Grinch." He suggested. "Oh, and Scrooge."

"Spike, those are fictional characters." Serena told him, getting into a starting position for the kata she had been teaching them.

"Yeah, but you're not." Spike commented. She swung around, and was stunned to find that she almost swung her bokken into him. Spike was only just saved from being brained again by the fact his technique had significantly improved, and he was able to block her sword. "Yeah, nothing's wrong."

Serena just threw down her bokken, looking between the two of them a little uneasily. This was now the second time she had almost taken Spike out by accident. Of course, she wasn't entirely sure Spike and Bulk were her ideal choice of agony aunt.

"OK, I guess I'm off my game." She told them. "Why don't you two just show me what you've been practicing?"

"But..."

"Spike, who's the sensei?" She said abruptly. "Do it!"

With that, she sat on the front porch, just watching her two students. She couldn't concentrate properly, not after what had happened. She could tell that Peter had to be hurt, but she had been caught completely off guard by what he had said. He had told her he loved her. The worst part was that she knew what she wanted to say. Despite everything, despite not knowing what kind of future they had, or even if they did have one, she loved him too. Unfortunately, she was now sure that she had to have left it too late. If he wasn't going back to Japan before, she was sure he almost certainly would be now.

Kevin pulled into the driveway, bringing the SUV to a full stop. The others came out to help him with the groceries. Unsurprisingly enough, Mike made a beeline straight for the tree, beginning to unlash it from the roof rack.

"Antonio, help me with this would you?" Mike asked him. "Come on, we just have the tree to decorate! Come on come on come on!"

"Antonio was almost pulled off his feet, struggling to keep up with the Green Ranger as he rushed the tree into the house. Emily had grabbed a couple of bags, and ran in after them, bounding up the steps. Mia and Kevin just laughed.

"Well, I guess it worked for them at least." Mia commented. "They definitely seem happier."

"I guess that much is to be expected." Kevin giggled. "It's so heart-warming to see the kids getting so excited."

"It really is." She commented. "I think I even saw Antonio smiling a little. Maybe we can even bring the others around."

"Well, I think we are due a few Christmas miracles." Kevin told her. "Speaking of which, I think I may have worked a little one for you."

"Oh?" She asked. "How so?"

"I found him." He told her. Mia looked a little confused for a second, before she suddenly figured out what he meant.

"You mean...?"

"He's in a motel for the night." Kevin told her. "I gave him the money to stay there tonight as long as he promised to talk to you."

"I know that can't have been easy for you to do." Mia told him, wrapping her arms around her. "I really love you, you know that right?"

"I do." He told her. She just giggled.

"You're kind of early with those words don't you think?" She asked him. "Anyway, you help the others. I need to find the phone book."

"The phone book?" Kevin asked her. "What...?"

"Just help the others." Mia told him, heading inside. Kevin just shook his head.

"I swear, one day I'll understand half of what goes on in her head." He remarked as he headed inside to help the others.


	19. Christmas Can Work Miracles

The day was wearing on, and the Rangers were still hard at work decorating the Shiba House. Although the house was already well on its way to looking like a cross between a supermarket Santa's Grotto and a greetings card picture, Emily and Mike were so rabid about the season that they just continued long after the enthusiasm from the others was being tested.

Antonio and Kevin were putting up the tree, setting it upright in the living room, on top of a large, white sheet that they had rumpled up around it to look a little like snow. Mike just looked to the tree judgementally, stroking his chin.

"I'm not sure." Mike stated. "It looks a little..."

"Mike, I am NOT getting another tree!" Kevin put down flatly. Mike just continued to look to it. There was something about it that just didn't seem right.

"You can see where it was tied up." He complained. "Some of these branches are looking a little bare..."

"Mike, I am NOT getting another tree!" Kevin reiterated a little more forcefully. Mike just smiled a little and pulled out his Samuraizer. He traced a symbol in the air and cast it towards the tree. Kevin and Antonio just ducked back as the tree seemed to burst into life. The branches re-aligned themselves, correcting where the bungee ties Kevin had used to lash it to the roof had damaged them. Hundreds of new needles grew in places, fixing the bald patches, and the whole thing became a lot brighter and more vibrant in colour. Mike just smiled as he beheld his handy work.

"Now THAT is a tree!" He declared proudly. Kevin just looked to the tree, a little smile crossing his face. In the corner, where Jayden was sitting watching, participating as little as possible in the merriment, even he couldn't stop a small smile crossing his face.

"Wow, you're getting really good with your symbol power." Emily complimented him, still running around with a fair bit of tinsel wrapped around her neck like a scarf as she looked around desperately for some surface she had yet to 'cheer up'. "That tree looks great!"

"Yeah." Kevin replied, slapping Mike on the back. "Of course, now you've shown us you can do that, you know we'll be expecting a lot more of you in training."

"Dude, do you seriously ever stop?" Mike asked him as he grabbed Emily. "Come on; let's get the stuff for the tree!"

Kevin made his way into the kitchen, ready to start working on something for them to eat. Antonio meanwhile, made his way over to Jayden.

"You've got to hand it to Mia; her idea does seem to have done wonders for morale." Antonio stated, gesturing to Mike and Emily. "The kids seem to be happy."

"I guess so." Jayden murmured, turning his attention back to the book he was reading. Antonio just sighed and sat with him.

Antonio had guessed that Alexandra had done a number on Jayden. Even Kevin and Mike had been noticeably affected by her demise, but after a day or so, they seemed to be more at ease. Since she was made at least partly from their genetic material and had exerted influence over them with pheromones, she was, in a way, related to them. They had felt her absence, though Jayden felt it more deeply than the others. He hadn't just been under her spell; he had also become deeply emotionally involved, spending more time with her than any of the others.

"You know, out of all of us, you're the only one that isn't having his first Christmas away from home." Antonio reminded him. "I guess Mia's idea was as much to make that easier as anything else."

Jayden just shrugged, at which Antonio just sighed and shook his head.

"Look, I know this is about Alexandra..."

"I don't want to talk about it Antonio." He told him flatly. "Yes, I miss her alright? But she was a Nighlock, and now she's gone. What else is there to say?"

"How about what it's done to you?" Antonio asked him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Antonio..."

"I know this has been hard, but you do know that we're her right?" Antonio pressed on. Jayden just pulled away from him.

"You can't keep doing that." Antonio told him. "I know things went badly between us over her, but you do remember we were friends long before we were anything else right?"

"Antonio, I'm just not..."

Just then, they saw something starting to come down between them. It was mistletoe. Looking across the room, they saw Mike with his Samuraizer out, using it to encourage the sprig that had been set up over them to grow. Emily was with him, watching them as she continued to decorate the tree. Antonio looked to Jayden, but if anything this just seemed to annoy him even more. He grabbed the mistletoe, ripping it down and stormed out of the room. Antonio just sighed and shook his head.

"I'm sorry." Mike commented. "I thought I was helping."

"It's not your fault." Antonio assured him, getting up from his seat and making his way over. "Come on Emily. I'll help you reach the top of the tree."

Over in Japan, Mentor Ji had finished his shift at work, arriving back at the tavern. Despite everything that had happened, he was eager to get back and join in another game of tiles, hoping to earn more money towards his trip home. As he arrived though, the atmosphere was a lot more raucous. A large crowd was gathered in one corner of the room, cheering and chanting loudly.

"Would you like the special?" Hiro's wife called to him. Ji just nodded, but made his way across to the corner. As he got there, he stood up on a table so he could see over the crowd without having to push his way through.

He watched as one of the crowd stepped forward, accepting applause, and put what looked like it had to be a significant portion of his wages down, before stepping up to a frame.

Ji smiled as he saw it, and recognised it. He watched as another man started to insert large, thick blocks of ice. The man stepped up, and took a large swing at the ice, punching through a block of it. He looked to Hiro, who was just sitting with a drink.

"I thought they played tiles." Ji commented. Hiro just shook his head.

"Not every day." He responded. "This is one of my least favourite of their pastimes. As long as no one hurts themselves, I don't object, but it seems ridiculously dangerous."

Ji just smiled though. Although his training gave him something of an advantage, he saw the pile of money the man was given for getting through a single piece of ice, and realised that the stakes in this game were significantly higher than the game of tiles. As he watched another man try and fail to get through three pieces, the crowd started to laugh raucously as the man walked away, nursing his hand. He made his way forward, pushing his way to the front. There, he saw Yoshi step up.

"_Four pieces._" One man called out, starting to take money as four pieces were set up on the frame. Yoshi started to warm up, preparing for his attempt. He made his attempt, getting through three of the blocks, but he yelled in pain as he failed to get through the last block. Ji almost laughed, but chose not to. He knew Yoshi had a problem, and most likely he would simply demand more money from Hiro.

He then stepped up, taking off his jacket.

"_Alright, we have another competitor._" The man controlling the contests stated. "_Alright Ji, let's have your stake._"

Ji placed down almost all the money he had, save for what he needed to pay for his room and board. He was confident in his abilities in this contest, and knew that in one fell swoop, he could almost completely have covered what he felt he owed to the village. He stepped up.

"_So, how many pieces?_" The man asked him.

"_How many is the maximum?_" Ji asked him.

"_Six._" The man replied. "_But no one has ever..._"

"_I'll take that bet!_" Yoshi stated bitterly. He threw down what Ji figured had to be pretty much all he had taken from Hiro earlier. "_He will break his hand before he breaks six pieces._"

Ji was a little reluctant to take the bet, knowing that Yoshi would likely just hit up Hiro for more money if he became too short on money, but he could not back down now, the wager had been accepted.

He stepped up, and stood before the ice. As each block was slotted in, he saw the task for how difficult it was. Each block was about two inches thick. As they were all slotted into place, he closed his eyes, starting to focus. He brought his hands together and slowed his breathing to a shallow pace. He visualised the end result as opposed to the obstacle between him and that end.

"_Is he going to actually hit them, or just wait till they melt?_" Yoshi sneered, but Ji just ignored him. With a huge cry, Ji unleashed his blow, striking his way through. Pieces of ice flew around, and littered the floor, but when all was said, all the blocks were gone, the only evidence they had even been there being the dull ache in the edge of Ji's hand where he had struck them. Despite what many said, destruction was not painless. It was true that it hurt more if the technique failed to break the barrier, but simple physics and biology meant that impact with a solid object always led to some level of pain.

The crowd was silent for a moment, before cheering. Ji looked to the bundle of money he was presented with. It seemed a number of others had also put money down. By the time it was all done, he started to count his money only for Yoshi to come to him, shoving him roughly.

"_The contest was...the ice! It was not thick enough!_" He protested. Ji just picked up a piece, handing it to Yoshi.

"_All the pieces are made in the same moulds._" Ji reminded him. "_My challenge was no less difficult than yours. You should just learn when to accept that when you gamble you do not always win._"

"_Let's see how you do when you're up against something that hits back!_" Yoshi snapped, preparing to strike. He was grabbed from behind by Hiro, who manhandled him out of his wife's tavern, throwing him into the street.

"_You have had enough excitement for one night Yoshi, go and cool off!_" Hiro told him.

"_You will hear about this, mark my words!_" Yoshi warned him, before trudging off. Ji took the money, splitting off his stake, and the same again to cover winning the challenge, before offering the rest to Hiro.

"What is this?" Hiro asked him.

"It may not be all he took from you earlier, but it will cover some of it." Ji replied. Hiro just shook his head and waved it off.

"You won that money fair and square. Not all of us are as petulant as Yoshi." He told him. "I just hope his behaviour does not colour your view of the rest of us."

"I have no complaint with the hospitality I have received." Ji replied. He saw the doctor in the corner and presented him with the money. He smiled at Ji.

"_I did not ask for payment_." He reminded him.

"_It is a matter of honour_." Ji assured him. "_I believe this will cover my treatment._"

"_This looks about right._" The doctor told him. "_Now, sit and drink with us. Medicinal saki, doctor's orders._"

"_I never refuse medical advice._" Ji replied, sitting down. He had settled one problem, now all he needed was to buy some supplies. All going well, tomorrow would be the last day he would have to work on the harbour.

Back at the Shiba House, it was getting late in the evening, and the rangers had just finished with dinner. Jayden still wasn't back yet, and it was clearly still affecting Antonio. Serena was sitting with Peter, but was still a bit quiet around him. Mia's plan to lighten the mood had worked for the most part, but it was clear that there were still a few things wrong in the Shiba House.

"Well, I think we did a great job with the house." Mia commented. She was trying to keep upbeat for the sake of the others. She knew she had a hard situation to face the following morning as well, but she was so far keeping on top of things.

"It looks kind of like where Santa goes to hook up with Barney." Peter said in a little chuckle. "But I like it."

"So, Kevin and I are going into town tomorrow." Mia told them, gesturing to herself and Kevin. "Does anyone still have Christmas shopping to do?"

"I guess I have a few things to pick up." Mike commented, looking a little worried. The truth was that he hadn't really done much of his shopping at all, and was now starting to panic. He had been so worried about what to get Emily that he had completely forgotten about everyone else as well. "Um...yeah, I'd appreciate a ride to the shops."

"Well, I've done all my shopping." Emily said with a little smirk as she wrapped her arms around Mike.

"She used to have all her Christmas shopping done by August." Serena told them. "She's such a Christmas junkie, she couldn't help herself."

"Why don't we all go?" Antonio suggested. "We can all go our own way, then meet up for lunch somewhere."

"I guess we can do that." Kevin answered.

"Yeah, I have a few things to pick up..." Antonio began, reaching into his pocket for something. As he did so, he stopped, seeing something he had in there that he had forgotten about.

"What is it?" Emily asked him.

"It's just evidence I should clear out my pockets more often." He told her, putting it away. "Anyway, I need to go. I'll catch you all later."

"We've all got a big day." Kevin reminded them. "Maybe an early night would be in order."

"That sounds like a good idea." Emily said with a yawn. "Decorating can be really pretty tiring."

"Alright then, see you all at breakfast." Mia replied. As they were about to leave, Serena grabbed Peter's arm, holding him back a little. He could tell that she wanted to talk, and hung back. As they finally ended up by themselves, he turned to look at Serena.

"Alright, I guess I should have seen this coming." He sighed. "You don't need to say anything..."

"Actually, I really do." Serena interrupted him. "Peter, we've just kept skirting around this. We always say we'll talk, but then we never do."

He just looked at her a little curiously. He didn't really know where she was going with this.

"Peter, you really have no idea what you dropped on me do you?" She asked him. He just shook his head.

"I said..."

"I know what you said Peter, don't you see that's the problem?" She asked him. "God, I used to think you were smart."

"Look, if you don't feel the same way that's one thing, but there is such a thing as letting a guy down gently." He protested. "I get it! We've had a great time together..."

"Peter, you're healing. You're getting stronger!" Serena told him. "How long's it really going to be before you're back to normal?"

"Maybe a couple of weeks depending on how rehab goes." He told her.

"Exactly, and then what?" Serena asked him. "My family is here Peter! My friends are here! I have commitments, promises I've made."

"Yeah, I know about all of that." He told her.

"And you still told me you loved me?" She asked him incredulously.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise that was a problem these days." He commented sarcastically.

"It is when you're going to piss off back to Japan sometime around New Year!" She snapped at him. "God, I can't believe you, this..."

"Serena, why are you so angry with me?" He asked her. "What did I do wrong? Why is this such a problem for you?"

"Because I love you too!" She told him, looking away from him. "You don't know how hard this is. I've tried not to, I've really tried, but I can't help it. I've fallen in love with you, just in time for you to leave me."

He came across, putting his arms around her as she wiped away some tears.

"It wasn't easy for me either." He told her. "I know it wasn't smart, but I couldn't help it. That's why I said what I did."

Serena turned towards him, looking into his eyes.

"Say it again." She told him. He just smiled at her.

"I love you." He said softly. Serena felt her heart racing as she pulled in closer.

"I love you too." She replied as she pressed her lips to his. As they parted though, she looked to him. "I guess this means we really do need to talk."

"Maybe not tonight." He suggested. "But yeah, we do."

Meanwhile, outside, Antonio pulled out the piece of paper he had found in his pocket, looking at it intently. It was the programme from the play he had gone to a couple of weeks previously. He had indeed forgotten about it, but most importantly, he had forgotten about the fact that Julian, the lead actor, had given him his phone number.

He could remember that he was really quite good looking, and he could even remember being tempted at the time. He and Jayden were still fighting about Alexandra back then. Julian had given him the number, and left the option up to him to call him.

Just then, Jayden walked back into the yard. Antonio stood up as he saw him.

"Feeling a little better?" Antonio asked him.

"A little." Jayden replied. "Look, I know there's a lot of stuff I need to straighten out, but you're right. We were best friends long before any of this. You shouldn't suffer because of me."

"I don't follow." Antonio answered.

"You can move back into the room." Jayden told him. "I'm sure you'll appreciate the heating tonight."

"I'd like that." Antonio said. As he approached, he remembered the paper in his hand. "Jay, you remember that trick you used to do when we were kids?"

Jayden pulled out his Samuraizer and flipped it open. Antonio just tossed the paper into the air, at which Jayden flicked out a symbol, casting a little fireball at the programme, incinerating it. Jayden just lifted it up, blowing the end of it like a smoking gun, and flipped it away.

"Still got it." Jayden commented as Antonio followed him towards the house. "So, what was that anyway?"

"Nothing important." Antonio replied with a smile.


	20. Most Magical Time of the Year

The following morning, the Rangers, Serena and Peter all managed to squeeze into the SUV, and were on the road to the supermarket in order to pick up the last few things they needed for Christmas. Given the fact that it was now only ten days away, they really didn't want to risk leaving it any longer, and having to brave the last days of the shopping period, and the rabid, panic-stricken stampede that always accompanied it.

Kevin muttered to himself as they drove around and around in circles in the parking lot, desperately seeking somewhere to park. Even now the malls were chock-a-block with shoppers.

"How about over there?" Mike asked.

"That's a compact spot." Kevin told him. "The SUV won't fit."

"Look, I think that guy's moving." Jayden stated, pointing to a position where a family were loading up the last of their shopping. Kevin hung back, flashing his lights to indicate they were giving them room. The other car reversed out of the spot, and drove off, leaving it clear for Kevin. Unfortunately, as he started to drive towards it, another car that he hadn't seen raced through, almost hitting them, and powered into the spot. Kevin just hammered the horn repeatedly as he started to spew obscenities.

"Did you know Kevin knew words like that?" Mike sniggered as he whispered to a wide-eyed, startled Emily. It wasn't as though she had never heard those words before, but she had never heard them from Kevin. He was normally so restrained, that hearing that from him was somewhat akin to hearing it from Barney the Dinosaur.

"Alright, it's clear this is going to take forever." Mia sighed, unfastening her seatbelt. "We'll just get out here. Kevin, you keep looking for a spot."

The others started to disembark, but as she was about to go, Kevin grabbed Mia's arm gently. She just looked to him.

"I'll be fine. I can take care of myself." She assured him gently. She knew that Kevin didn't want her to go to the motel alone. It was already going to be hard for her to see Aaron, and she understood that he wanted to be there for her when she met with him. "You know where I'll be once you find a spot."

Kevin just nodded, regretting the fact that the lack of parking meant he had to let her go alone. As she closed the door, he resumed his search.

Over in Japan, Ji was making his way to the harbour, feeling a lot more cheerful about what he hoped would be his last day in the village. Once he got his pay, he would be able to get some clothes and food, enough for him to make the long hike back to the Tengen Gate. There, he was sure that he would get the means he needed to get home.

He arrived to find that the first boats were already in, and many of the workers were already beginning to prepare the first catch. He hung up his coat and took up position, taking a crate of fish, he saw Hiro coming past. He waved him over.

"I just wanted to say again how much I appreciate everything you've done for me." He told him. "I was just going to ask. Is it possible for me to work a half-day? I really want to get to the general store before it closes."

"I think we can arrange that." Hiro told him. "You know, in two days you managed to pick things up and do more work than many of my employees have accomplished in years. It'll be sad to see you go."

"I appreciate that, but I have my own family waiting for me." Ji told him. "If I leave tomorrow morning, I may just be back in time for Christmas."

"Well, as a family man myself, I can understand the appeal." Hiro told him, slapping him on the shoulder. "You finish at three, just come and get your wages before you go."

As he turned to leave though, Hiro saw Yoshi and a couple of men in suits standing before him. He just groaned.

"Outside." He told them. "We'll deal with this outside."

Over in the States, Mia arrived at the motel, making her way to the desk.

"Hello, I was looking for Aaron Stevenson." Mia said to the woman at the desk. "Can you tell me what room he's in?"

"I'm sorry, but for security reasons I can't give out guest's details." The receptionist told her as she checked the computer. "I can call the room if you'd like."

Mia just nodded, hoping that he was still there. Since the room was paid in cash, there would be no reason why he couldn't have simply left without checking out at the desk. Every ring seemed to take ages as Mia steeled herself. Finally, the receptionist got an answer.

"Mr. Stevenson, there's someone in the lobby to see you." She told him. "Can I take the name miss?"

"Mia." The Pink Ranger replied. The receptionist relayed the name, and then hung up the phone. "Mr. Stevenson said you should go right up. He's in room 208 on the second floor."

"Thank you." Mia replied, making her way up the stairs. As she got to the second floor, she checked her cell phone, before putting it away and making her way to the door. With a deep breath, she knocked and waited.

A little time later, the door opened. Aaron looked very different than the last time she had seen him. He was still very skinny and pale, but he was now clean shaven, and his hair had been washed. He seemed to have taken the rare opportunity to use the amenities in the room to clean up. He looked to her, clearly uncomfortable about being in this situation. To say that it was mutual was an understatement.

"Mia." He began nervously. "Um...you look good."

"Thanks." Mia replied half-heartedly. "So...are you going to invite me in?"

Aaron stood aside and let her into the room. It wasn't much, pretty basic all things considered, but she was sure it had to be better than what he was used to. She saw the kettle was on, and starting to boil.

"So, do you still like hot chocolate?" He asked her. "There was only one sachet on the tray. You're welcome to it."

"That would be nice." Mia told him. "Aaron, you know why I'm here."

"Yeah, I can guess." He whispered, making up two cups for their drinks. As the kettle clicked off, he poured the water in, and handed Mia the hot chocolate, taking some coffee for himself. "I guess you've got a lot you want to say."

Mia just nodded as he sat on a chair opposite the bed, waiting for her to begin.

In another part of the mall, Emily and Mike were doing some shopping, dodging their way through the crowds. While Mike still had most of his shopping to do, Emily had already completed hers, and so was only there for incidentals. Mia had asked her to pick up wrapping paper, bows, ribbon, labels and tape so that they could get to work wrapping their presents when they got home.

Mike was in the toy section of the supermarket, checking out some items on the shelf. He was holding a Blue Ranger action figure, but he breathed a sigh and put it back.

"Kevin would think that was dumb." He muttered to himself. "Why does he have to be so hard to buy for?"

So far, he had managed to find things he was sure the others would like. Mia, Serena, Jayden and Antonio he had all managed to find things he was sure they would like, but two presents still eluded him. Kevin, and Emily.

Kevin was difficult to buy for because, unlike the others, he didn't really have much in the way of interests or hobbies outside of training. Out of all the Rangers, except perhaps Jayden, Kevin left the house the least. He couldn't remember Kevin ever expressing any interest in sports or games of any kind, other than swimming, and it wasn't like he needed much equipment to do that. Not that Mike was slightly averse to the idea of buying the Blue ranger a speedo anyway; he shuddered just to think of it.

Emily caused him the most worry though. Although he knew her the best out of everyone in the house, his problem was thinking of something that showed how much he cared for her. Every time he thought of something, it just didn't seem good enough for her. He jumped a little, dropping his bags as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I got it all." She told him, showing him the bundle of stuff in her arms. She had several rolls of paper, various forms of gift tags, bows and ribbons in assorted colours. One thing though caught Mike's eye. He took it from her, turning it towards her.

"A bunny tape dispenser?" He asked her. She just looked a little sheepish.

"Mia asked for tape." She protested.

"Man, even your choice of tape dispenser is unbearably cute." He chuckled. "I don't know what I did to deserve you."

"Who says you do?" She teased him. "So, what were you looking at?"

"I was just amusing myself with the range of merchandise we have." Mike told her. "Look, we have action figures."

"Yeah, we have..." She paused and reached out grabbing hers. "OK, these were designed by a guy."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mike asked her. She just showed him her own action figure.

"This isn't exactly 'anatomically correct'." She told him. Mike couldn't help laughing as he realised what she meant.

"I guess that's the downside of secret identities." He commented. "We don't have any say in the design of our merchandise."

"So, are you almost finished?" She asked him. He shook his head.

"I do have a couple of things still to get." He commented.

"You're hopeless!" She giggled. "Come on, let's get to the register. There are more shops."

Mike went with her, hoping that somewhere in the course of the day he would find some inspiration.

Over the motel room, Aaron was sitting on his chair, still holding his coffee. By now, it was stone cold, and he was sitting wordlessly as Mia relayed everything that had happened since they had parted.

"The therapy helped." Mia concluded her story, looking to him. "I loved my job at the day care centre. I guess when I'm done with...my business...I might like to go back there."

"Oh God." He murmured, finding himself unable to even look at her. He was already ashamed of what he had done. He knew that running out on his responsibilities was a cowardly thing to do, and he had also broken the heart of one of the most caring people he had ever met. There was a part of him that always felt guilty about what he had done, but hearing about what had happened since then made him feel like the lowest form of life on Earth. "I can't...how can you even bear to talk to me?"

"It wasn't easy." She admitted. "You were my first. You took something from me that no one else can. It's a gift that I can't give anyone else, and you took it and turned it into something I can't look on with anything but sadness."

"It sound so lame, it's light years from being anywhere near making it up to you, but I'm sorry." He replied sadly. "You were the best thing that ever happened to me, and I treated you in a way no one ever deserves to be treated. I know I can never ask you to forgive me."

He looked to her as he put his coffee down.

"So, where is he?" He asked her. "I know it's too late to mean much, but I guess I would at least like to visit him."

"He's in the graveyard on fourth." She told him. "It's a little plot by a willow."

Mia finished her hot chocolate and took Aaron's hand in hers.

"So, what happened to you?" She asked him. "I mean, when you left, I thought you were looking for a record contract."

"I was." He replied. "Jack lined us up an audition gig in Arizona."

"So, I take it that didn't work out?" Mia asked him.

"It did for them." Aaron corrected him. "It never did sit well with the others what I did. Jack and Fi especially wouldn't talk to me for the first couple of weeks of the tour, and they kept giving me serious heat about the way I treated you. When they got offered the contract, it was Jack that got offered the deal. The others signed, but they didn't put my name on the contract and kicked me out of the band. They said that if I was willing to treat someone I love like that, then there was no way they could trust me not to do the dirty on them. I guess that's what you could call karma."

"Aaron..."

"Fi owned the van, so they just left me there." Aaron told her. "I was too ashamed to go home and face everyone I had hurt. I didn't have any money, or anywhere to go. So, I just kind of drifted for a while."

"Aaron, I'll admit that I was angry, but I'd never have wished something like that on you." Mia told him. "We shared something special once. I'm in love with someone else, someone that treats me really well."

"The big guy in blue?" Aaron asked her. "Yeah, we kind of had words."

"I don't hate you." Mia told him. "I can't forget what you did, but I don't think you deserve to have your life ruined over it. Talking to you today, I think you've been punished more than anything I could ever do to you."

She pulled out her cell phone, and dialled.

"Alright, it's time." She stated. Aaron just looked confused, but a second later, there was a knock on the door. As he opened it, he found Kevin standing outside. Kevin then moved aside, and showed someone else in. Aaron looked to Kevin and Mia in shock.

"Mom?" He gasped, seeing her come into the room. She was a small woman, wrapped in a huge woollen coat. She was greying steadily, and had wire rim glasses. She looked to Aaron with tears in her eyes.

"Aaron?" She asked him. "You're really back?"

"You called my mom?" He asked her. He looked back to his mom, not knowing how to react.

"Aaron, I've been worried sick!" His mom told him. "It's been almost three years!"

"Mom, I...I know how you felt about what I did." He told her. "I couldn't look you in the eye knowing how you felt..."

"She just threw herself at Aaron, wrapping her arms around him.

"When Mia called, I couldn't believe it!" She sobbed. "You should have come home!"

"But...what I did...the things you said to me...the baby..."

"I hate what you did. I was ashamed of you for the way you treated Mia." His mother told him. "But you're my son. I will always love you. I always wanted to know you were safe."

She looked to Mia and smiled.

"Thank you so much Mia." She told the Pink Ranger. "You look really well."

"It took some time, but I got there." Mia told her. Mrs. Stevenson turned back to her son.

"Well, it doesn't look like you have too much luggage. I'm sure it'll fit into your old room." She told him. Aaron looked staggered by what she had said.

"Wait, are you serious?" He asked her.

"Of course, I would never want you to stay on the streets." She told him. "If you want to get back on your feet, you'll need somewhere to stay."

As Aaron gathered up his belongings and followed his mother out of the room, Kevin came to Mia's side and held her tightly.

"I really am the luckiest man in the world aren't I?" He asked her. "I get to marry Saint Nicola."

"You're only just figuring that out?" Mia chuckled, kissing him softly. "I'm just glad I could do it."

"You know, we have paid for the room, so we do have it until midday." Kevin commented. Mia just raised an eyebrow.

"What are you suggesting?" She asked him. Kevin just went to the bed, and grabbed the tea tray from the cabinet, emptying the contents into his pocket.

"May as well get our moneys' worth." He replied. Mia just giggled as she shoved him out of the room, closing the door behind them.

After his shift, Ji found Hiro. The foreman turned to see him, and remembered that Ji was only working the half day. He reached into his pocket for some money.

"Well, it's sad to see you go." Hiro commented. "There's a general store a little way down the street that should have everything that you need."

"I saw Yoshi earlier." Ji told him. "He hit you up again didn't he?"

"It is the price for laying my hands on him last night." Hiro replied. "As I said, it is not your problem."

"You really do need to stand up to him." Ji advised him. "He will always just keep asking you for money if you don't."

"Get your supplies and rest up." Hiro told him. "You have a long journey ahead of you."


	21. Christmas Wishes

Jayden and Antonio were making their way through the mall when they ran into Emily and Mike coming out of a department store. Both of them were smiling, and were loaded down with bags of shopping.

"Hey guys, it looks like you've been busy." Jayden commented.

"Well, that's what happens when you leave everything to the last minute." Emily giggled, shoving Mike gently. "Maybe you can be a bit more like me next year."

"Maybe." He replied. "I'm just glad you saw something for Kevin. I can't believe I never thought of it."

"Well, I'm glad the two of you seem to be having fun." Antonio said as he shifted the bags from one hand to the other to check his watch. "As far as I can see, it's almost time to meet the others."

Mike was a little saddened to hear that. He was still to find something for Emily. It was harder since she was with him, he wanted to make sure what he did get her was a surprise, but he was still clueless as to something that would adequately show her how he really felt.

It was as they started to make their way in the direction of the restaurant though that he saw a little stand, and he became intrigued. The others were so busy talking that they didn't really pay it any mind, so Mike managed to get a closer look at it. As he finally realised what it was, he smiled and tapped Jayden on the shoulder.

"Uh...you guys go on without me." He told them. "I have something I want to check out."

"Mike, the others..."

"I'll be along in a minute!" He interrupted them, shoving his bags in their direction, forcing the three other Rangers to react quickly to ensure they would not spill all over the floor. "Just...go on without me! I'll be right there!"

They watched as Mike ran, leaping into the air and springing off the back of a bench, somersaulting over a bunch of shoppers. The others just watched him go and laughed.

"Alright, I think it's safe to say he's excited about something." Jayden chuckled. "Alright, the others will be waiting. I think one Ranger being late is enough."

In another part of town, Spike was sitting in his room of his Uncle Bulk's house, drafting a letter. Although he was fifteen, his Uncle still insisted he draft a letter detailing the presents he wanted.

His uncle, much like his dad, was reasonably wealthy as a result of a business they used to own in Stone Canyon when Spike was only a kid himself. They were by no means in any danger of ending up on the fortune 500 rich list, but they had both earned enough to give them a comfortable life. Bulk in particular had taken what he had earned when they eventually sold Bulkmeyer's and invested it in the stock market, something he was surprisingly good at. It was why when Spike's dad needed to go abroad, he had sent him to Bulk. His uncle only really 'worked' a couple of hours a day to check on his investments, meaning that he was always around to take care of Spike and spend time with him.

Spike loved his uncle, he always had. They always had fun together, and with the exception of staying with his dad and his step-mother, there was nowhere in the world he would rather be.

He wrote down the list he had already told to his Uncle, but looking around, he sighed and shook his head. He knew this whole thing was pointless, but he couldn't bring himself to deny his uncle. As he looked to the paper though, he started writing something else, something he would never want to tell his uncle.

"Hey Spike, have you finished with that yet?" Bulk called out from the kitchen. "I'm doing a dry run of the stuffing for Christmas and I need a second opinion."

"I'll be right there Uncle Bulk." He called back. Putting the letter in the envelope, he sealed it, and addressed it 'to Santa', before putting it away. He went downstairs, finding Bulk working hard in the kitchen. He had some pretty impressive skills when it came to cooking, it was just one of the reasons his restaurant was so successful. Spike came over as Bulk held out a tablespoon of the stuffing.

"Alright, it's my own blend." Bulk informed him. Spike took the spoon and started to chew into it. He smiled and nodded his head.

"This is great Uncle Bulk." He stated. Bulk then gave him a spoonful of gravy. Spike tried it, and scrunched his nose. Bulk looked a little worried.

"You don't like it?" He asked. Spike shook his head.

"No, I do like it, it's just...I think it could do with something." He said, tapping his chin. He snapped his fingers. "Redcurrents!"

Bulk's face just lit up as he said this.

"Spike, that's brilliant!" He replied. He got out some money, and handed it to him. "Go out to the corner store and get a couple of cans. We want some in store for Christmas."

As he left, Bulk watched his nephew go. He had never been lucky enough to find a woman to share his life with, or been blessed with a child of his own, but he loved Spike just as much as if he were his own. His brows furrowed as he saw that Spike stopped at the end of the path and put something into it. He knew he asked him to write a letter, but he had expected him to leave it in the house or give it to him. He also couldn't shake the feeling that something was bothering Spike. He wished he knew what was on that letter, if he was going to find the answer anywhere, it would be there.

In another area of town, Kevin and Mia arrived, finding Jayden, Antonio and Emily just sitting at their table with Serena and Peter. They looked like they had barely arrived, and were just in the process of handing their jackets and bags to the waiter when they saw them.

"Hey, look at that, the Clockwork Ranger is late!" Antonio teased him. "Can't you see we've been waiting?"

"Yeah, sorry, my watch is three seconds slow." Kevin replied, tapping his watch as they sat down. Jayden furrowed his brows as he saw them.

"You don't have any bags." He commented.

"Oh, we finished our shopping." Mia told them. "We just had something to do."

"So where's Mike?" Kevin asked them.

"I don't know, he kind of ran off in a hurry when we were heading over here." Emily answered. "He wouldn't say what he was doing."

"So...do we just order, or wait until he comes?" Antonio asked. "I'm kind of hungry."

"I think we're good." Jayden replied. "Here he is!"

Mike came into the restaurant with a little bounce in his step, and a huge smile on his face. He took a seat next to Emily.

"Well, someone's happy." Jayden commented.

"I just finished my Christmas shopping." He declared happily. "I finally have everything!"

"That's great Mike!" Emily congratulated him. "I was sure you were going to end up one of those guys that run out to the 24 hour store on Christmas Eve."

"Well, I really wanted to get everyone something good." He told them.

"Alright, well now that's done, I guess we should order." Kevin announced as he waved over the waiter. All the Rangers started to pore over the menu, trying to figure out what they wanted. Mike just looked to Emily and smiled. He couldn't wait to see what she would think of her present.

Back at Bulk's place, late at night, Bulk made his way out of the house, making sure to stay quiet as he did so. Making his way down the path and out the gate, he came up to the post box.

It had been a long time since he and his best friend Skull were the school punks and pranksters, and in some ways he just hoped he hadn't lost all of his skills as he pulled out a screwdriver and started to work the lock.

He may have only been a junior volunteer police officer in his youth, but he knew enough about the law to know that tampering with the mail was a felony, even if all he was doing was taking out one of the millions of letters that the post office disposed of every year because they were addressed merely as "Santa", thus saving them the trouble. He lived in a nice community, where the cops patrolled like clockwork, so he knew when he was not going to be disturbed.

As the door opened, he smiled. Just like riding a bike. Of course, this was the first time he had opened a mailbox and was not going to leave spring snakes or stink bombs inside. He pulled out the bag and started to rummage through, finally finding a letter written in what he recognised as Spike's handwriting. Putting the bag back in the mailbox and shutting the door, he headed up the path back to his house, long before a police patrol came by.

He went into the kitchen and took out a letter opener, tearing open the envelope, and opened up the letter. He started to read through the letter.

"Dear Santa,

This year, I have done everything I can to be good. I do what my Uncle Bulk tells me, and I work hard on my schoolwork and training. Serena says she's really happy with how we've improved."

Bulk smiled to read this. Spike really was a good kid. He continued to read.

"I'd like a dirt bike and the Harry Potter movies..." Bulk read through the list, satisfying himself that Spike hadn't added anything he didn't know about. That was, until he got to the end.

"Finally, I know mom and dad can't come home for a long time, and Uncle Bulk is great, but I really wish I had friends my own age. I really, really want to go back to school."

Bulk paused as he read this. Spike was a good kid, with a kind heart, and a sweet nature that genuinely hated to hurt anyone. Unfortunately, that had caused him a lot of problems at school. He was bullied constantly, and the kids had sent him home so distraught on so many occasions that eventually, after transferring to no less than four schools, they had finally pulled him out of school altogether. He had been homeschooled for over a year before he was sent to his Uncle Bulk. He was still home schooled even now.

"I know that mom and dad love me, and they only did it to protect me, but now I feel like I'm really missing out. I never meet any kids my age. I still think Uncle Bulk's brilliant, but with what he and Serena have been teaching me, I really think I'm confident enough not to let kids upset me as much anymore."

Bulk just put the letter down and cast a gaze towards Spike's room. He had no idea that Spike had even thought about school. He was doing alright in his home-school courses, and he always seemed like he had a great time with him, but thinking about it, he had to appreciate that his nephew was right. He really didn't get a chance to meet any kids his own age. His first crush was on a Power Ranger, not on some cheerleader or a kid that shared a milkshake with him, but a woman he only ever saw on television, and who he had only met a couple of times in the middle of a battle. A woman whose face he still had never seen. Even his dad had been crushing on Kim long before he even knew she was the Pink Ranger. He sighed and felt deflated as he realised that he had been failing Spike. As much as he had been taking care of him, there were just some things that he couldn't give him. He was missing out on some of the most important experiences of growing up because he and his parents were so scared of him being hurt.

"I know this is just a stupid letter, and Uncle Bulk would be hurt if he knew. I really love him and all he's done for me, but I just want to be a normal kid." Spike concluded. He had signed it, and Bulk knew that he had delivered it, knowing that he would never see the letter once it got to the sorting office. He pulled out his cell phone and dialled.

"Hello, Skull?" He began. "Yeah, it's me. Listen, I think there's something we need to talk about."

The following morning in Japan, Ji was just beginning to get his bag together. He had very little, only a small backpack and a few clothes, and some food, but it was enough, he was sure, to last him on his hike back to the Tengen Gate. The path would be more difficult now that the mountain had collapsed, and many of the trails were doubtless blocked, but he was sure he would find a way through in time. The Tengen Gate was not on any map, but he was skilled in the ancient ways of orienteering, and so he was confident he would find it.

As he got downstairs, he stopped by the door. He was going to bid Hiro and his wife goodbye before he made his way. As he got there though, he heard voices, more than just Hiro's and his wife's. As he opened the door ajar, he saw Yoshi and his two heavies standing with them. He pulled out his Samuraizer, and watched to see if he needed to intervene.

"_I told you, pay up!_" Yoshi stated harshly.

"_We both know I have paid more than my fair share of tribute Yoshi._" Hiro put down flatly. "_Your problems are your problems. Perhaps if you could hold onto your money instead of throwing it away on the gambling tables, you would not need to keep acting this way._"

"_You forget your place Hiro!_" Yoshi said with a dismissive laugh. "_Just one call to my father, and there will be dozens of ships here inside the hour! You'll be bankrupt..._"

"_You know, I think that sounds like a good idea._" Hiro stated. Yoshi just looked a little surprised.

"_You WANT my father to send his ships?_" He asked.

"_No, calling your father._" Hiro stated, pulling out his phone. Yoshi looked a little unsettled as he said this. "_I still have it on speed dial, it's still speed dial 1 isn't it honey?_"

Yoshi held up a hand.

"_There is no need to involve..._"

"_I believe there is._" Hiro interrupted him harshly. "_From now on, I will be paying my tribute directly to your father. No more middle man._"

"_But..._"

"_Tell your boss my message. I will bring tribute to him directly on the first of every month._" Hiro told the heavies, before turning his attention back to Yoshi. "_I trust there is no reason to explain why to him?_"

Yoshi noticeably started to slink away. Ji just smiled. Hiro had done as he suggested and stood up to Yoshi. He had called his bluff. Clearly Yoshi had no desire to have his father find out he had been skimming the tribute, or extorting money from those he had agreements with. Yoshi just nodded reluctantly.

"_You are welcome to continue to work for me if you want to earn your money honestly._" Hiro told him. "_However, you earn it just like everyone else. No more, no less. If you can't accept that, feel free to leave and find another job._"

"_I hate this place anyway!_" Yoshi snapped, realising he had lost his meal ticket. "_My father will find something more appropriate for me to do._"

As he left, Ji put away his Samuraizer, making his way out into the main room.

"I suppose you heard all that?" Hiro asked with a little smile.

"You played that to perfection." Ji complimented him. "Perhaps now you are spending less in tribute, you can spend more of it on yourselves."

"It would be nice to have a holiday one day." He commented. "It has been almost twelve years."

"Well, if you ever find yourself in America, feel free to look me up." Ji told him, handing him his address. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"No, thank you." Hiro replied. "Have a safe journey my friend."

With that, Ji walked out the door, beginning his long trip home. As he got to the edge of the village, he cast one last look back and smiled. He had to admit that he had loved his time here. As much as he looked forward to getting home, this place had its own beauty. There was a part of him that would always miss it.


	22. Christmas Messages

As the Rangers got back, everyone was grateful to get out of the cold. Mike ran off immediately, heading in the direction of his room with his bags of shopping, just saying something about needing to be by himself for a little while. Jayden looked to the others.

"OK, I know the rules normally forbid contact home, but in this instance, I think Ji would make an exception." He told them. "You all have phones or a computer, so if there's something you'd like to say to your families, now is a good time."

Mia and Kevin made their way off to their room, while Emily took her laptop from the couch and headed into Ji's study for some privacy. Serena looked to Peter.

"I should contact my family too." She told him. She knew that Peter was in a very different position from her. He had lost contact with his family some time ago. He had been sprung from federal custody a couple of years previously. She didn't know if he had any family, but she did know that even if he did, he lost contact with them then. As a result of hacking into the wrong website at a sensitive time, there was still a warrant out for his arrest for cyber terrorism. She had already experienced first-hand what happened when they were suspected terrorists. If he contacted them at all, ever, then it was likely he would never see the light of day again.

"I should contact Daisuke." He told her. She just nodded in response, but still felt badly for him. He never talked much about his family; in fact, he never talked about them at all. She had a feeling he had just accepted that he would never see them again. It was realistically the only option. If he contacted them, he would be traced and found, and they might be taken as accessories to his crime. Without exaggeration, the guardians of the Tengen Gate and Daisuke were the only people he had. "I should let him know what's happening. I've been a bit remiss in my reports recently."

"I'll just wait to borrow Emily's laptop then." Serena replied as he headed off to use his computer, before taking a deep breath and heading after her sister. Jayden looked to Antonio as he just took a seat.

"Don't you want to call your dad?" Jayden asked him.

"I can do that anytime." Antonio replied. "I was thinking more about who you would like to call."

"Who else is there?" Jayden asked him. "I still haven't been able to contact Ji. Mom died when I was a baby, and dad sacrificed himself years ago."

"So...there's no one?" Antonio asked him. Jayden paused and fell silent for a moment, before turning to him.

"It's just been me and Ji since I was about five." He told him. "Thinking about it, this'll be the first Christmas I'll have spent without him."

"You shouldn't think like that." Antonio answered. "He might come." Jayden gave him a slightly withering look.

"He hasn't even called since he left. We have no idea if he even made it." Jayden reminded him.

"If miracles can't happen at Christmas, then when can they?" Antonio asked him, putting an arm around him. Seeing the way Jayden looked at him as he did this, he pulled it back thinking that perhaps he was moving too quickly.

"I thought you stopped believing in all that." Jayden asked him. "You know, because of..."

"I might not like what some guy in Rome says, but a lot has happened." Antonio told him, looking up a little. "I always did like to think there was more out there than just what we see. I just happen to disagree with some peoples' interpretation of the same scripture."

"You always were one of a kind." Jayden replied with a little smile. "Tell you what. I know we have some popcorn somewhere. How about we make up a batch and treat the guys to a movie night?"

"That sounds great." Antonio replied. "I'll get the cooker on."

In his room, Mike dumped his bags out onto the bed and looked over the collection of presents he had bought and smiled. Despite his lateness in attempting to buy presents for the others, he was confident he had gotten something for each of them that they would like.

As he reached for the paper, and picked up the blister pack containing the bunny tape dispenser Emily had bought, his smile got brighter. He was sure that she would love what he had gotten her.

Emily was just putting the finishing touches on her e-mail to her parents as Serena was pacing behind her. She clicked send, before moving off the chair.

"Alright, it's all yours." Emily told her. Serena just nodded and took a seat by the computer, trying to think of what she could write.

She'd had quite a year all things considered. At the beginning, she was still bed-ridden, getting weaker every day. She was helplessly just waiting on the blight that had claimed her finally taking her life after all that suffering. No one expected her to make it through the year, most weren't even sure if she'd still be alive today. Fate had its own plans for her though.

She started typing; beaming with pride as she remembered what had changed it all. Dekker had kidnapped her, helpless as she was, and taken her far from her medications and treatments which, admittedly only eased her suffering as a bargaining chip. He had sought to coax Jayden into the duel he was so desperate for. He hadn't banked on getting the wrong Ranger, and neither had Serena.

As weak as she was, she could still remember seeing the frenzy of Emily's attack. She had never seen her demonstrate such power before, or since. She hammered Dekker with every ounce of being she had, slashing violently with her sword as she threw several symbols his way, handing Dekker a savage beating no one knew was even possible at the time. She could even remember when she cast the final symbol, the one that had used up the last of Emily's energy, and destroyed half of the cliff they were standing on, burying him under tons of rock. With the exception of Jayden, no one had handed Dekker such a decisive defeat, it had taken even his Nighlock powers weeks to regenerate his injuries following that.

As she started to write, she remembered that was really where her own journey began. She was fading fast, and in desperation, Kevin had used the Swordfish Disk to heal her, hoping to give her long enough for Emily to see her before she passed. No one could have thought that it would actually heal her completely. She had woken up, finding Emily sleeping on a chair by her bed, feeling absolutely marvellous; better than she had, even in the months before she had fallen sick. When she found the others training and felt good enough to join them, she amazed even herself when she returned to form without losing a step.

She had been only too happy to believe that she was now back on top, and able to take up her responsibilities as the Yellow Ranger. She had always hated the fact that her little sister had to face the dangers and trials meant for her. She hadn't even considered how Emily felt when she simply told her that she would be taking her place and she could go home. Fate, however, again intervened. In her first official battle as a Ranger, the Ape Zord had been unresponsive. It had taken time and a few attempts to coax it to do as she commanded. Even afterwards, she found it just staring at her blankly as she tried to get it to perform simple tricks to get it used to taking her orders. Jayden had sat with her and reminded her of how much Emily had grown, and that the Ape Zord had grown attached to her. In the end, she reluctantly accepted that she had been replaced.

It was not the end of the road however. Not long after she had gone home, she received a call from Ji, asking her to go on the quest to retrieve the ancient and powerful sword Kasamune. Although pride was not something encouraged by the Samurai Code, she was only too quick to take up the quest, regardless of the dangers it entailed. It had taken her most of the year, across several countries, and had brought her to Peter.

As she got to this point in the letter, she paused. Did she really want to talk about him? As much as they had promised that they would, they had not actually talked about what was to come for them. They knew that come New Year, he would be fully healed, at least healthy enough to travel. Thinking realistically, he had nothing for him here. He could never again contact his family; it would put them in danger as much as it would him. The only place he was safe was the Tengen Gate, a place that most didn't know even existed. She just sighed and finished her letter without mention of him, clicking the send icon.

"Hey, Serena, do you have any tape?" Mia asked.

"I think Mike has it." Serena told her. Mia just nodded.

"Thanks." She replied, before making her way out the room. Serena just pressed her forehead to the desk and clasped her hands over her head.

"Christmas sucks." She muttered.

Over in another part of town, Bulk and Spike were in their yard, playing in the little snow that had formed. There wasn't too much, but there was enough for them to make a snowman. Just as Bulk finished it off by placing the carrot nose on it, he looked to Spike, remembering the letter he had read, and the phone call he had made. His nephew seemed happy, but he knew that there was a part of him that really wasn't. There was a whole world of experiences he was missing. He watched as Spike picked up a bokken.

"Hey, Uncle Bulk, wanna bet I can slice his nose off?" Spike asked him. Bulk just smiled.

"Alright, let's see what you learned." Bulk told him. Spike got down into a stance, before swinging around; bringing the bokken across, smashing the end of the carrot off, before launching into a jumping spin kick. It hit its mark, but because the snow was so soft, his foot went straight through, and he landed with a lot of momentum. On the slippery ground, he fell face-first into the ground. Bulk could feel the disappointment coming from him as he pulled himself up. It was only then that they heard a snigger.

"That was pretty good." A girl stated. "I'd work on the landing, but the kick was pretty impressive."

She was about Spike's age, maybe a few months either way, Bulk couldn't tell. She had frizzy, red hair, and extensive metal braces. She was wearing a huge ski jacket that fit her about as well as a big top, and thick, long wellington boots and massive mittens that looked more like sheepskin oven gloves. She was in their yard.

"Yeah, whatever." Spike muttered. Bulk repressed the urge to tell her off for being in their yard when he saw her coming closer, waving her arms

"No no no, I'm not making fun of you!" She shrieked. "Um...I've never seen anything like that. Well, except the Power Rangers of course, but then who hasn't?"

"Yeah, cause they land on their faces all the time." Spike said a little bitterly. Bulk just stood back to watch the exchange. She turned to Bulk sheepishly.

"Sorry, but one of my friends kicked a ball in here." She told him. "I did buzz, but I didn't get an answer. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all." Bulk assured her. "Go ahead."

The girl looked around, finding what she was looking for, and picking it up, before looking back to Spike, who was still sitting on the ground pouting. She came across nervously, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Um...we're going up to the slope by the tyre factory with our sledges." She told him. "You're welcome to come if you'd like."

"Um..."

"Go ahead Spike." Bulk blurted out. "You know, I think I forgot to put the oven on. It'll take ages to heat up. You go ahead."

"But..."

"Spike, that's an interesting name." The girl responded as she offered him a hand to get up. Spike took it and stood up. "I never had a nickname..."

"Uh...it's actually my real name." He informed her. "It's a long story. I'm Spike, Spike Skullovitch."

"I'm Vicky." She said in response, shaking his hand. "Vicky Thomson."

"So, you're going sledging?" He asked her. "I guess..."

At that point, a sledge was suddenly in front of him. He looked up, seeing his uncle holding it.

"You go and have fun." He told him. "I'm sure I'll have dinner ready by the time you get back."

As Spike left, he couldn't help but smile. He had already talked to Skull and Kim about sending him back to school in the New Year, and they had all talked for a long time about the subject. In the meantime though, he was only too happy for Spike to go and have some fun.

Back in the Shiba House, the Rangers were all sitting around having a movie night. Given the season, there were some feel-good Christmas movies, but they were interspersed with their own personal choices, from Mia's romantic comedies, through Kevin's action films, through to Mike's horror films, which for the sake of everyone were reserved until last.

Serena got up to head into the kitchen for some more wine, being decidedly uninterested in Friday the 13th part whatever or Nightmare on Elms Street part five thousand and who cares. They were all completely not scary to her, and held no entertainment. Seeing the way the respective "monsters" behaved, she was confident she would have no problem dealing with them, and they were about as scary as Emily in her Halloween bunny costume to her.

As she looked out the bottle, she got a start as she felt a tap on her shoulder and saw Peter standing behind her. She held her hand over her chest.

"Alright, that was way more of a scare than any of Mike's lame movies." She told him. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I...we...um..." He started to stammer. "We said we would talk."

"Peter..."

"Please, just hear me out." He told her. "I've given a lot of thought to this, and I want you to have your Christmas present now."

He handed her a little padded envelope, at which Serena just looked at him a little confused. She opened it carefully, before emptying the contents onto the kitchen counter. She was no less confused to find that it was a bunch of documents, including a passport and a driving license.

"Go ahead." Peter told her. Serena picked up the passport and looked inside, seeing his photograph, but there was something curious about it.

"Stephen Jenkins?" She asked, looking to him.

"There's a birth certificate and a High School Diploma too." He told her. "I need to go to school to earn anything else, but the basics, the social security number..."

"Wait, all this is for you?" Serena asked him. He just nodded.

"I've done all I can for the Tengen Gate." He told her. "I discussed it with Daisuke, and he and Hayley came up with a way I can come back here for good."

"So...you have a new identity?" She asked him. "You just pretend you're someone you're not?"

"I am in no way the clueless teenager that stumbled into hacking the wrong website." He told her. "Sure, I miss my family, but I know that the best thing I can do is let them go. They probably gave up on me a long time ago. Even if they didn't, I would be doing them no favours going back now. I can't."

He took her hand softly.

"I meant what I said Serena, this is more than a crush. I'm in love with you." He continued. "When we were captured, the thing that turned me all, 'crouching moron, hidden badass' was thinking of leaving you there. Imagining them with their hands on you."

"Peter..."

"I can take up this new identity and come back here." He told her. "I would need a roof for a while to get on my feet, but I would have a fresh start, and I'm willing to do it."

Serena placed the bottle on the counter and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in and kissing him passionately, before parting from him a little way.

"You really mean it?" She asked him. "You'd do this for me?"

"No." He answered with a smile. "For me too."


	23. Spike's Early Gift

Bulk was busy putting the finishing touches on dinner when Spike showed up. He had started to think that he would have to call his cell phone to tell him to come home, but the kid's stomach was more reliable than any alarm clock he had ever owned. He smiled as he saw his nephew dumping his jacket by the door and bounded into the room.

"Did you have a good time?" He asked.

"It was the BEST!" Spike shrieked as he pulled up a chair, grabbing his cutlery. "Vicky introduced me to some of the kids. A whole bunch of them were there."

"Really?" Bulk asked, beginning to spoon some stew out into a couple of bowls for them. He was happy to see that Spike had been having a good time with them.

"Yeah, Vicky and her friends go to the school just down the road." Spike told him. "We had a huge snowball fight, and we went sledging. Dylan and Eric had built a big ramp which gave a great jump."

"It sounds like you had a good time." Bulk replied as he sat with him. "I bet it feels good spending time with other kids instead of your old uncle right?"

Spike fell quiet as he heard Bulk say this. He didn't want to hurt his feelings. He did love spending time with the other kids, but he didn't want his uncle to think that he preferred it to spending time with him.

"It's alright, you can say it." He chuckled. "I know you like the time we spend together. It's alright to have other friends too."

"It was fun." Spike admitted. "I know the last time I spent time with kids didn't work out too well, but Vicky and her friends are really nice."

"Would you like to spend more time with them?" Bulk asked him. Spike just shrugged.

"I guess so." He answered. "It's not long until school ends for the holidays. I guess we could hang out more then."

"Maybe you could hang out with them more often if you went to school with them." Bulk suggested. Spike just looked at him, a little surprised to hear him say that. It had been a long time since he had been to school. His dad and Kim had pulled him out to home school him because he was being bullied mercilessly, and they were starting to worry about the effect it had on him.

"But mom and dad stopped me going to school." Spike reminded him. "They don't want me..."

"Never mind what they said, how would you feel about going to their school?" Bulk asked him. "You can be honest with me."

"I guess it would be good to have some friends my own age." He replied with a little smile.

"Well, I guess I can talk to the school about letting you begin after the holidays." He told him.

"Really?" Spike asked him excitedly. "But what about mom and dad?"

"You let me worry about that." Bulk told him. "Enjoy your dinner. We can talk more about it later."

As he dove into his dinner with gusto, Spike couldn't help smiling. He was looking forward to the New Year now more than ever.

Over at the Shiba House, Jayden was busy wrapping his presents when Antonio came into the room they shared. He could tell that Jayden was a little preoccupied. He was still reeling from what happened with Alexandra, but the worst of it was that Ji, his father figure and closest confidante, was not around for him to talk to.

"I'm sure he's fine." Antonio assured him. They didn't know why, but Ji had not contacted them in any way whatsoever since he had left. All of the rangers were concerned for him, wondering why he would go so long without checking in with them. They were worried that something had happened to him, but for Jayden, he was sure it had to be much worse. "Ji can take care of himself."

"I know." Jayden responded quietly. "I really just wish he would call or something."

He looked to Antonio and sighed.

"Thanks." He whispered. Antonio just looked a little confused.

"What for?" Antonio asked him.

"Thanks for not making this any harder." Jayden clarified as he put his last parcel aside. "I know I treated you pretty badly."

"To be honest, if I was in the same situation, I can't imagine I would have behaved much differently." He said honestly. "You've had a fair bit to deal with this year."

"We all have." Jayden told him.

"You seem to forget that I went through this a lot longer ago than you did." Antonio reminded him. "Do you really think I didn't have a lot of these feelings?"

"I wanted it to be true so badly." Jayden admitted. "Even without the spell, or the pheromones or...whatever. I really wanted her to be mine."

"You're not alone." Antonio assured him. "Before I figured it out, I'd had the same dreams everyone else does. You know, being a dad one day. It was one of the things that was the most difficult about admitting to myself what I am, knowing that I'll never have my own kids."

He put his arm around Jayden and looked to him.

"I don't know what's going to happen in the future. If one day I want to raise a family, maybe I can adopt..."

"That's not an option for us!" Jayden put down flatly. "The symbol power runs in our bloodlines. Those outside our clans don't have the elemental powers. If I did have kids that weren't of my blood, then they wouldn't inherit my symbol power."

"You forget that I didn't have a bloodline." Antonio reminded him. "It might not be tied to my bloodline, but I have symbol power."

"That's yours though." Jayden stated. "Mine is in my bloodline."

"Then I guess we just have to make sure this is the last generation that needs a Red Ranger." Antonio answered.

"I really am sorry." Jayden told him.

"I had no intention of giving up on you." Antonio assured him. "I love you too much for that."

Jayden just looked to him and smiled, before holding his hand.

Mike and Emily were just putting her presents under the tree when Serena and Peter came into the room, their arms wrapped around each other. Serena especially had a huge smile on her face.

"Alright, public display." Mike teased them. "We get it, you like each other."

"Well, we have good reason to be happy." Serena told them. "Guys, I'd like to introduce you to Stephen Jenkins."

Mike and Emily just looked to each other, a little confused as they saw her gesture to Peter.

"Uh...Serena, his name's Peter." Emily reminded her.

"Not anymore it isn't." He told them. "Hayley set me up with a new identity so I could stay here for good."

"Really?" Emily asked. "But...what about Homeland Security and the arrest warrant and...?"

"Hayley made a few changes to the case file." He explained. "Nothing so huge it'll get noticed, just enough to ensure I won't end up getting picked up because my fingerprints turn up in the wrong place."

"So you're staying?" Emily asked, looking to her sister. Serena just nodded her head excitedly. "You're really staying?"

"Well, for the time being at least." Peter, now Stephen answered. "I don't have a job or a bank account or anything, so I'll need to start from scratch."

"I guess that's going to be hard." Mike stated. "Still, I'm happy for you man. It'll be cool having you around."

Meanwhile, in the Netherworld, Dayu found her way to the edge of The Dark Zone, stopping before she crossed the border. She placed down the Harmonium, before reaching to the bundle hanging on her belt, unravelling it and looking to the cursed blade.

Urumasa was still broken, but the power within was still strong. She could feel it. The blade started to glow at her touch.

"The Ranger's mentor may have prevented me finding the secrets of his family's vault, but there is more than one way to skin a cat as they say."

She wrapped it up in the bundle again and picked up her harmonium, steeling herself for what was to come. She knew that there was one who could reforge the sword, the one who had created it in the first place millennia ago. Although he had fallen long ago, she knew that those Nighlock who were destroyed ended up in the Dark Zone. She had been there once before, that was how she had learned that Dekker was not destroyed.

The fallen Nighlock were not friendly however, and had tried to destroy her the last time she was there. No living Nighlock was meant to be in the Dark Zone, that was why any that went there never returned. She knew that going in was dangerous, and there were no guarantees that when she did find Urumasa's creator that he would help her. However, if there was any chance at all, no matter how slight that she would be reunited with her beloved Dekker, she was willing to take it, no matter the risk. She strode into the Dark Zone, prepared to face any and all who stood in her way.

Back at the Shiba House, the Rangers were all assembled in the main room, having finished with their preparations for the following week. Mike finished putting the last of the presents under the tree with a little smile.

"Alright guys, everything looks perfect." Kevin stated. "I think we can safely say that we're all set."

"Not quite." Jayden replied. "Unfortunately, not all of us are here."

Just then, he heard his Samuraizer bleeping. He looked around the others before answering it.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Jayden." The voice on the other side answered. Jayden smiled as he recognised it.

"Ji!" He called out joyfully. "I'm so happy to hear from you!"

"Unfortunately circumstances prevented me from contacting you sooner." Ji told him. "Unfortunately I failed in my mission. Dayu has both pieces of Urumasa."

"Never mind that, we can deal with her if she comes." Jayden stated. "Where are you?"

"I am at the Tengen Gate." He informed them. "In my travels, I have found myself sadly lacking in means, and needed to come here to seek assistance. Daisuke has booked me on a flight to Ocean Bluff tomorrow."

"That's great news." Jayden replied with a smile, turning to the others. "He's getting on a plane to Ocean Bluff tomorrow."

"If all goes well, I should be home soon." He told them. "I trust all has been well in my absence?"

"It's been..." Jayden couldn't think of a way to sum up everything. "I'll fill you in when you get home."

"I just wanted to let you know I was alright, and that I am on my way back." Ji told him. "I will be home soon."

"Have a safe journey Ji." Jayden replied as he hung up. He turned to the others and invited them all in for a group hug. He finally felt like everything was working out.

In another time, and another place, in a whole different dimension, the Rangers were doing battle outside the city of Corinth. One of Venjix's deadliest creations, Professor Cog, was sending the Ultrazord reeling with a relentless attack from his blaster.

"Scott, I cannae believe ye fell for that!" Flynn snapped. "The bad guys never fight fair. What made you think he'd play by the rules in that duel?"

"We can worry about throwing around blame later Flynn." Summer commented, struggling with her controls to right the zord. "Look out, here he comes!"

"On it!" Dillon snapped, opening fire with the Wolf Zord's blaster. The attack bot was staggered, and a panel fell away, exposing some of his inner workings.

"Look, a weak spot!" Scott called out. "Power up the main weapon!"

"Don't waste your time." Professor Cog told him. "I'm done with this battle anyway. I just needed to hold here for a little while. Now, I'm fully charged, and ready to go. I'll be back Rangers!"

With that, he disappeared in a blinding flash of light. Summer blinked as her vision started to come back to normal.

"Alright, that was new." She commented. "Any indication where he went?"

"Am I the only one who really doesn't care?" Ziggy asked. "I mean, he was kicking our butts. If he's run away, then I'm all for it."

"Ziggy, don't you get it? He was winning." Dillon reminded him. "Why would he run away if he was winning?"

"There's only one reason I can think of." Scott replied. "He has something more important to do, and if I know Venjix, it can't be anything good."

Fin.

A/N: Alright, this story has ended, and as promised, I have every intention of doing my own version of Clash of the Red Rangers. I just felt that it warranted its own story, and wanted to give it the time to do something special with it. Hope you all enjoyed the story.


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